Distances
by Soulhearts
Summary: DISCONTINUED! Loki's true nature is revealed to the King of Jötunheimr, and King Laufey demands his lost son's return. Odin agrees to hand Loki over...for a price. Suddenly thrust back to his home world, Loki is used as a piece in one of Odin's ploys in order to keep relative peace between Ásgard and Jötunheimr, but the young Loki starts learning truths he never could have guessed.
1. The House of Þrymrjarson (Part One)

_Chapter One/Kapittel En:_

His mysterious emerald eyes fluttered open with little clarity. His dark, midnight hair fell in locks around his face, onto the silky pillow. Loki was still robed in Æsir garments, even though he was nowhere near his fellow Æsir anymore. His emerald clothes were showily adorned with tiny little jewels and his hair had been freed of its usual slicked back styling and was beautiful and black, glitter highlighting sections of it here and there. Often as a boy Loki had wondered _why_ the people of Ásgard felt the need to have such pretentious clothing and conceited styling. But now, _oh now_, Loki desperately wished he was back in Ásgard where the people liked to brag about their fashion choices. Instead, he was _here_…

"My son…"

A hand the colour of dark azure reached out and gently touched his Æsir locks with a great sorrow laced within the action. Loki tried not to flinch, but he knew that the older male had felt it, and Loki cursed himself and his cowardliness. If Thor had been next to him, he would have chastised him for being so. But Thor wasn't here. Loki knew that. No, the man sitting beside him was the one that had left him to die in a frozen temple on this wasteland of a world: Laufey, the king of Jötunheimr. And knowing who the man next to him was only drilled home the point to Loki that he wasn't of Ásgard, and Loki's last name wasn't _Odinson _anymore. Not like his older brother who was still able to proudly call himself _Thor Odinson_. No, not anymore, now, he was Loki _Laufeyson._

The king of frost giants gently lifted his hand away, not wishing to frighten his lost child anymore. Such damage had been done to this Laufeyson child. Such lies had been spun and fed to his boy. _Laufey's _child… _His_ child! Odin Allfather had brazenly taken _his _child! Not content with slaughtering thousands of Jötnar, Odin had gone so far as to kidnap his newborn child! Every time Laufey thought about it in the past week, the angrier he had become. What was even worse was that, up until a week ago, Laufey had believed his Loki child _dead_! Five-hundred years Laufey had mourned the loss of his youngest son, but now, to have it thrown back at him, to suddenly know that he was _alive_… Laufey couldn't sit on his laurels. He had so much time to make up for.

"Loki, my son, will you not eat?" Laufey gently inquired, looking down sadly at the untouched food on the silver tray sitting on the end of the bed. Laufey, thinking that Loki could not yet stomach Jötun foods, had even gone so far as to have Æsir food brought in from Ásgard for his youngest son. "You haven't eaten in three days; I am worried for your health."

Loki drew a shaky breath as he sat upright, briefly meeting the blood red eyes of Ásgard's most hated enemy before his cowardliness made him look away. It was in this brief space of time that Loki silently thanked the Norns that he had studied various languages of the nine realms in his spare time – the language of the Jötun being among them. It would not have boded well for him if he had been left in a world where he could not convey even the tiniest thing through his words, and Loki knew that the Jötnar had been removed from the Allspeak all those centuries ago. If Thor had been in Loki's position, he would not being doing so well. Laufey reached for Loki's face and blue skin met that of white for only a moment. Loki drew back sharply in alarm before he allowed the giant to touch his cheek again.

Loki could feel his glamour melting, like wax from a burning candle it faded away. It was like removing make-up from one's face. When it was there it made Loki feel secure, as if he could hide his problems from the world. When he was wearing it, no one could make him cry because the mask he wore was one of strength. No matter what his father – Odin, or his brother – Thor, thought or did to Loki, he could hide away what he truly felt. Loki knew that Thor had never purposely hurt him, and Loki believed that his father had _tried _his hardest to do right by his son, but both of them had left scars upon Loki's soul that had never truly healed.

Laufey removed his hand from Loki's skin and the beautiful sapphire sparkle that glistened on a midnight-blue skin that had briefly graced his son's face, was quickly covered up by the pale sun-skin that Loki was familiar with.

"Tell me my son, why do you persist with this… _glamour_?" Laufey asked as he tried to bridge the gap between them. "Is it not uncomfortable to wear it? Surely it saps your strength? I would think it be a bother to wear all day, every day and never remove it."

"It isn't a bother." Loki rebuffed strongly, an effort of courage upon his face. But Laufey could see straight through the façade. Loki was scared of him and Laufey knew it. "I have never known anything else. It comes as naturally and effortlessly as breathing."

Laufey curiously studied his lost son for a moment. "Do you not wish to remove it now that you have returned home? It would be far more comfortable."

Loki's breathing paused for a moment and his heart missed a beat. _Take it off?_ Loki had never really tried before. The young man closed his eyes and again felt the melting wax sensation tingle all over his body. When Loki reopened his eyes, he found Laufey staring back at him with happiness in his own. Although the blood red was still chilling to look at, Loki felt the slightest bit better when knowing that the king before him wasn't angered that he had removed his glamour: the opposite in fact.

Loki stood and walked over to the upright mirror that stood on the left side of the bed. He surveyed himself for a moment, but then, Loki grimaced and closed his eyes before allowing his glamour to return to him. Turning away from the mirror he looked down at Laufey. The ice king had a look of disappointment in his eyes, and Loki thought it ironic that already had he managed to disappoint _another _father. Most people only had the opportunity to disappoint _one_, but not Loki. _Oh no_, the fates were _so_ kind as to allow him to be such a disappointment to bothOdin _and_ Laufey.

Loki felt disgusted with himself as he looked down at the floor. _Such similar reactions… _Loki mused. "I'm sorry." Loki apologised, speaking softly as if he were afraid of being punished.

Laufey suddenly realised the error of his ways. "_No_! Loki, do not apologise. It was I that forced you to do something you were uncomfortable with!"

Loki plastered on a tight smile as he thought of how his _other _father would have reacted. Hel, Odin blew a fuse when Loki so much as looked at him wrong!

Laufey stood, causing Loki to step backwards in fear for a moment. When Laufey reached again for his son, Loki closed his eyes and waited for the impact to hit. Yet, Laufey only pulled Loki into a tight hug and kissed his hair gently. Loki was suddenly confused. He had been sure that the frost giant was reaching out to hit him or _something!_

"It is _so_ good to have you home Loki. You have no idea how happy I am to know you are alive. _I'm so, so very thankful…"_ The Jötun giant's voice trailed off into a whisper.

* * *

"H-How is he?" A beautiful blue giantess sidled up next Laufey as he walked down the palatial hallways an hour later, her long coal-coloured hair drooping down lazily along her back and her cobalt dress shinning in the wintery sunlight that entered through the palace windows.

Laufey sighed wearily. "I know not if he'll ever come to trust me. The things he has been told by the Æsir… It is no wonder the child fears me. I made little progress with him today, but I thought I saw a smile cross his lips, even if it was only brief."

Hlín smiled at her beloved. "Do not fret my dearest one. Our child will come to know you and will come to know this realm as his own. Did you invite him to dine with us again tonight?" she inquired with a small frown across her brow as she looked over at her bōndi.

"Yes," replied Laufey, another bleak sigh escaping his blue lips. "But again I think he will not come. He barely moves around his room Hlín! I fear that he may be in too much shock and I worry about him."

Hlín looked at the father of her children with great concern. She was just as worried as Laufey, but she trusted in her motherly instinct that told her Loki would pull through and accept them in the end. "Do not hurry him my dearest Laufey. He is not a warrior but a seiðmann. You and I both know that those who have seiðr in our race are very emotionally connected – it is clear that Loki is suffering at the loss of what he probably still considers his family.

The child does not know us Laufey, to him we are nothing more than strangers… _and that is at best_. It is more likely that he considers us monsters. You and I both know the stories that we told our children when they were young. There are many Jötun children's stories that tell how evil the Æsir people are… It is likely to be the same about us in Ásgard. Loki has been raised believing that the Jötun people are nothing more than sick, twisted monsters that come after little children in the night. I'm sure when he found out that he was Jötun he must have despised himself; feared himself even! When one finds out they are the enemy of their people, what do they do? It is a wonder that our boy managed to survive in Ásgard, what with their brutish ways constantly pounding their ideals into him. … He is strong Laufey; I _know_ he will be alright in the end."

...

Loki sat alone in his new room, looking around at the furnishings and the décor. Somehow, Laufey had managed to hone in to Loki's likes and dislikes and Loki was soon drowning in items and clothes that were of emerald green and midnight black. Yet everything Laufey did only reminded him of home – _of his __Ásgard home. _All he really wanted was to be back in his chambers with Frigga holding him tight and telling him that everything was okay, that everything was only a dream! But it _wasn't _a dream.

At the threat of war from the Jötnar, Odin had become desperate. Odin knew that the Jötnar wanted the Casket of Ancient Winters back; their race was dwindling without it. In a desperate ploy, Odin had revealed Loki's true identity, throwing Jötunheimr into utter confusion. Laufey had demanded his son's return and it was then that Odin knew he had an advantage. Odin told the king of the ice realm that he could have the Casket of Ancient Winters, but as a trade off, Odin would kill Loki if Laufey chose the casket. If however, Laufey chose Loki, Odin would return Loki to the Jötunheimr king but King Laufey would have to call a truce between Jötunheimr and Ásgard and swear upon the souls of all his people that he would not go to war with the Æsir. Odin had bluffed when he had told Laufey that he would kill Loki. Loki was an _Odinson_ and to Odin, it would always remain that way, no matter where Loki was. But, just as Odin had expected, Laufey had fallen for his gambit and had agreed that in exchange for his lost son he would leave Ásgard untouched for another five-hundred years.

But of course, Loki knew not of anything that had transpired between the two kings. To him, Laufey might as well have kidnapped him. Loki had not _wanted_ to leave his home on Ásgard! No one had asked him what _he _wanted. It was then that Loki realised that he was little more than a valuable pawn in Odin's war games. Even without knowing the full extent of what had transpired, Loki was still smart enough to work out that he was being used as a bartering piece. Frigga had told him everything would be okay, that he would always be welcome in Ásgard and that Frigga would always see him as her son. Yet even as she sent him off with tears in her eyes, Loki felt a stab of pain in his chest: a wound of doubt. _No real mother would send off her child as Frigga had to Loki. No, a real mother would have fought to keep her child safe, out of harm's way, and most importantly would have fought to keep her son!_

Loki wiped away the tears that the memories brought him. _This was stupid_. He couldn't sit around all day moping. He wasn't goddamn dead either! Loki was the trickster god, the god of lies! A trickster would never give into the fates. Standing determinedly, Loki strode towards the entrance to his chambers…

* * *

Half an hour passed in silence. This was how dinner had been taken for the last three days, since the youngest Laufeyson had been returned. It wasn't even like the man had eaten with them, but everyone in the dining hall had continued sit in silence with baited breath as they ate.

"He won't come, will he?" Sol asked in a whisper to her brother Váli, whom she sat beside.

Váli shook his head sadly. "I don't think so, but don't say that to mother or father."

Laufey sighed as he put down his fork. "My children," he watched the pair jump in their seats as their heads turned towards their father guiltily. "You do not have to whisper about your brother here. You may freely speak your minds."

The two younger frost giants exchanged glances with each other before shrugging. Sol was the first to speak up.

"What is he like, our youngest brother?" She asked tentatively.

"He is… reserved… or so it seems for the moment. He's having a hard time dealing with the shock of being returned home." Hlín replied calmly as she stabbed a piece of raw wolf meat from her plate, silently pretending that it was Odin Allfather.

"Does he look like us?" Váli quickly piped up.

"Yes, when he removes his glamour he looks very much like you Váli. But the Æsir have made it hard for him to feel comfortable in our skin. _I_ believe Odin did something to Loki when he was younger. Loki denies any wrong-doings that Odin has done, but either he wishes to protect the man he once claimed as father, or he does not remember–"

Laufey paused in his conspiracy theory as he heard the door to the dining hall creak open. A tuft of black hair peaked through the doors at the group of seated Jötnar and there was a pair of green eyes watching them all very closely.

"Loki!" Laufey exclaimed, causing his child to flinch. Keeping himself in check and lowering his voice in fear of scaring off his child, Laufey invited Loki to join them.

"I'm sorry…" Loki apologised again as he sat down at the table with the four other frost giants. "Was I interrupting?"

"No, no of course you weren't snowflake!" Hlín replied as she felt a sudden surge of motherly protectiveness at seeing her child, even if he _was _wearing the skin of her enemy. She had only seen him once since he had been returned to Jötunheimr, and at the time, Loki had looked so listless and lost that she'd thought it best that she leave him in peace.

Loki looked at her incredulously. _Had she just called him 'snowflake'?_ Loki assumed it must have been the Jötun version of 'sunshine'. Still, wasn't such talk reserved for mating partners and small children? As no one else seemed as perturbed by this as Loki was, the dark-haired man ignored the comment and pulled a plate forwards.

Loki didn't recognize any of the foods upon the table, and everyone seemed to hold their breath in anticipation, waiting to see what Loki would choose; what he would like of the Jötunheimr foods. Loki scanned the table for anything familiar, but his search seemed pointless. The young god reached out for the closest item that looked very much like some sort of fruit and he placed it on his plate, analyzing it before the taste test, so to speak. The fruit was green, and oval shaped and Loki took a sniff at it.

"It's called an eple." Sol explained when she realised what Loki was doing. "They're nice, you should try it and see if you like it. They grow during the spring months in huge orchards that are located in the blå-is fjell. They are a rare fruit on Jötunheimr because they are more sensitive to the fluctuating cold than most of our other foods."

Loki was a bit uncomfortable with everyone watching him as he ate, but when he bit into the strange fruit, all was forgotten. The juice ran into his mouth as he tasted the food that tasted so much like Iðunn's apples of Ásgard.

"I-it's good." He announced quietly. The family seemed to release their collectively held breath as Loki took another bite of the strange, green fruit that reminded him of home.

Laufey looked down at his plate, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Perhaps… Perhaps there was hope yet for his broken son.

...

* * *

Odin, Frigga and Thor all sat around the dining table that night and while the rest of the warriors and Æsir people ate and drank with merriment, the three could only think of Loki. Thor sighed, already on the verge of tears as he looked at the empty seat across from him. Never had he been so heartbroken about Loki not attending the evening feast before. Frigga let out a sniffle and Thor looked up at his mother to find that she had endured all she could.

"Mother…" Thor breathed out in sorrow, just loud enough for her to hear him.

Odin also looked up at his wife and his eyes reflected much of the same anguish as hers did.

"I just want my Loki… _I just want my son back!"_ Frigga cried hopelessly. "Hel knows what those icy demons are doing to him! Oh Hel, the stories about them. I hope to the fates that they exaggerate their abuse of the small-borns!"

Thor recalled the stories about the frost giants from his childhood. He and Loki would sit on Thor's bed in the evenings and listen to Odin read stories about brave warriors whom had slain hundreds of the Jötun beasts. In the stories the Jötun had always been savages that killed not only the Æsir, but people of their own kind as well.

"…"

Finally Thor had had enough. "_We must retrieve him immediately father_!" Thor boomed angrily as his mother's helpless sobbing began to take a toll on the young Æsir's mind. "My _brother _is not some tool! Loki is not a _toy!_ For Hel's sake father, _bring Loki home! Let him come home!"_

"_Do you not think I am trying Thor!_" Odin shouted back angrily at his first born son. "I love him as much as you do and I never would have wished this on him. _I had no choice!_ Jötunheimr was threatening _war_ with us."

"AND WE WOULD HAVE SLAYED HUNDREDS – NO, THOUSANDS – OF THOSE BEASTS! Loki should not have been used as a bartering piece!" Thor countered as he slammed a fist down upon the table. Some of the warriors and merrymakers were starting to notice the fight brewing between the king and the prince, but Thor did not care. All Thor cared about at this time was how he was going to retrieve his brother from the icy realm where he had been taken.

"_Do you not understand Thor!? _War with the Jötnar would have ended in huge casualties on both sides, I couldn't take that risk. I _had_ to play on the feeling that Laufey would choose his small born over the Casket of Ancient Winters. If I had been wrong, Ásgard would already be in the midst of a huge war!"

Thor stood from the table angrily, vehemently disagreeing with Odin with every action he took. With a slam on the table for emphasis, Thor strode out of the room, already planning his younger brother's rescue mission.


	2. The House of Þrymrjarson (Part Two)

_Chapter Two/Kapittel To:_

Odin Allfather son of Börr and father to now only one son, prince Thor of Ásgard, sat by himself in the throne room, contemplating silently. As a king he'd made so many decisions in his lifetime, so many decisions that had benefitted the people of Ásgard and had pushed its magnificent society forward in leaps and bounds. But, on the other hand, as a father and as a husband, Odin's decisions had seemed only to cause his family pain – not once could he recall a time when his family was actually _happy_. For the past two weeks, Frigga had spent a majority of her time locked in her chambers, only coming out for meals, and Odin had not bothered her – he knew she was grieving like a mother whose son had been lost to battle. Odin knew she blamed him, and he was desperate to make his wife see that giving their son Loki to Laufey was the only choice the old king had! Odin felt dirtied by his actions taken to prevent war with Jötunheimr. They were cowardly, as Thor had accused at the feast, just less than two weeks ago.

"_And we would have slayed hundreds – no, thousands – of those beasts!" _Odin heard Thor's voice in his head from that night, shouting enraged at his father, claiming that they would have won the war with Jötunheimr. Deep down, Odin knew it was true. Thor had been right about Ásgard's numbers against the Jötnar.

"But at what price…" Odin murmured, completely lost in his thoughts.

After Odin had reprimanded his oldest son the very next day, Thor had seemed to give up on the idea of rescuing his little brother, and Odin hated himself for putting his family through such pain. Thor had spent the past week ambling around the palace lifelessly and had spent a greater part of his time located in Loki's bedroom which no one had yet the heart to disturb. Thor had received none of his usual companions – Lady Sif and the warriors three – and this only caused Odin to worry more about the health of his eldest. Thor was normally enraptured by Lady Sif, and was usually eager to go on adventures with the Æsir that were in line to lord over various parts of the realm. Yet lately, Odin felt he could place no guilt on his eldest son, as all the guilt seemed to lie with Odin himself.

As Odin continued to think back for memories of a time when his family was happy, he only stumbled over fragments that he did not want to remember. He recalled that Frigga had yelled at him countless times over his treatment of their sons during their earlier days, admittedly, more often Loki than Thor, and Odin had yelled back at her saying '_it was for his own good_'. Frigga had even told Odin once that Loki had asked her if his father loved him as he loved Thor. The gap between Thor and Loki had widened so much that Thor had become the center of Odin's attentions, and without realising it, Odin had started to completely ignore his youngest son. Yet Odin, when he _had_ final realised it, had done _nothing!_ He had not assured Loki that he loved him; had not said one word on the matter! And as time went by, Odin began to realise that Loki had started to avoid him. The conversations that he once had with his sons, slowly dwindled down to Odin talking to Thor and occasionally lecturing Loki on his misbehaviour. Odin had so many regrets; his heart seemed almost broken. Yet, the thing that gave Odin nightmares every single night was the look that Loki had given him when he'd taken his child through the Bifröst and Loki had found himself on Jötunheimr.

"_Father, why are we here?" Loki had looked up at Odin, his coal black and emerald green eyes filled only with dread as a small blizzard raged around them on the forsaken world. _

_Odin had to force himself to keep his face an expressionless slate, although his look was still tainted with a grim frown. He would not let down his son by betraying him with tears in their final moments. Odin would remain a strong father, a father that could protect._

"_We are here because I have made a deal with the king of the Jötun, Loki. In order for peace to remain between our two peoples, we agreed on a trade."_

_Odin finally allowed himself to glance down at his son, but what Odin saw was more than he had expected, and more than he could take. Loki wasn't stupid. He had immediately grasped what Odin had meant by bringing him here. Yet, for Odin to have confirmed it with his words… Loki lost the last ounce of hope that he had desperately being clinging to._

"_Odin Allfather," A cold voice, distracted Odin from his son who was on the teetering edge of his sanity. "Is this him?"_

_Odin glared at the frost giant before him. "Laufey __Þrymrjarson," Odin replied. "Meet Loki _Odinson_." Odin put particular emphasis on the fact that Odin still considered Loki his son, but this seemed to only harden Laufey's hatred of him._

"_I will check that the child you have brought me is not a false __Æsir if you do not mind." Laufey said with an evil smirk in Odin's direction. Taking two huge strides towards Loki, Laufey gripped the man's arm. Loki looked shocked and absolutely frozen in fear. Odin wanted nothing more than to rip his son from Laufey's clutches and head straight back through the __Bifröst to __Ásgard where he could protect his son._

_Almost immediately, Loki's skin began turning a midnight blue and Loki shrieked as his glamour was forcefully removed from him. Loki ripped his arm out of Laufey's grip, stumbling backwards and falling arse-first into the snow. For the first time since Odin had plucked Loki from this ice-covered world, he saw his son's true form. Yet, while Odin had thought he would be repulsed by the sight of his son in his __Jötun form, he was not. If anything, it made Odin want to protect his son even more, though the old man could not for the life of him figure out why. Loki looked up at Odin with tears streaming down both sides of his face. Odin looked at his black-haired, blue-skinned son and felt his gaze finally show his sorrow for the first time since they had landed on this godforsaken world. It was clear from Loki's expression that he thought Odin must now hate him. Every thought going through Loki's mind showed raw upon his face. Quickly, Loki tried to reassemble his glamour, and slowly but surely, it did return to him._

"_A-are you really leaving me here father?" Loki whispered through his tears of distress. Odin did not hear the words, but he didn't need too to understand what Loki was saying._

_Odin didn't reply to his son, and instead, turned towards Laufey, his gaze hardening once again. "You have what you wanted. Now I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain."_

_Laufey nodded solemnly as his gaze turned back to his lost son._

_Odin, in a rare display of __Seiðr, cast a barrier between Loki and Laufey and himself. Turning on his heel, Odin cast his back towards Loki and headed back to the open __Bifröst portal, only a few meters away._

"_Father!" Loki screamed behind him as he found his feet and staggered to the barrier that kept Odin from his son. "Father, no! FATHER! Don't leave me here! I'm sorry–!"_

_Odin did not turn back to his son, as he heard Loki's despair filled screams and sobs behind him. The old god only placed one foot into the Bifröst, followed by the other, and suddenly Odin was back in __Ásgard where everything seemed abnormally normal._

_Odin didn't understand how all of Ásgard wasn't drowning in despair like he was. Why weren't they suffering as he? Finally, the old king allowed himself to morn, and he broke down into frame-wracking sobs in Heimdall's observatory, where only Heimdall himself could see Odin's shame._

* * *

The almighty Thor sat solitary and unusually silent in his brother's bedroom. The room had been largely untouched since Loki had left; still filled with his favourite things – all of them different shades of his favourite hues – and packed to the brim with the books that Loki had been forced to leave behind when Odin had traded Thor's younger brother for peace with the Jötun people – _as if Loki was nothing more than an object to be bought, traded, won and sold_. Yet, just sitting in the quiet of Loki's room made the blonde Æsir feel ever-so-slightly better, and quelled his heartache to some very small degree. Thor missed his brother terribly – _more than he could ever put into words –_ and every time he thought about Odin's repulsive decision, white, incandescent rage flooded every tiny crevasse in his mind. Thor had already made the decision to get his brother home, _no matter what it took, _but he hadn't quite figured out all the details of the plan. He'd never been much of a planner; he was the man of action, ready to charge into battle at a moment's notice. It was _Loki_ that planned out every little detail. _Loki_ was the one that had saved Thor's stupid neck every time he thought to be reckless in battle. Loki was always _the man with the plan._

Thor sighed dejectedly as he fell backwards onto his brother's bed pathetically, as if he were a lamenting woman, full of angst and self-wallowing in pity. If it had been only one year ago, Thor would have already charged into Jötunheimr and promptly demanded his brother's return. If the Jötnar had refused his demands, Thor would have laid waste to the ice land, leaving nothing untouched until he knew his fragile brother was once again safe with him. Safe and back in Ásgard where he belonged…

Thor snorted to himself. _Listen to me_, he thought. _I'm sounding like I have some sort of brother complex!_ Yet, as the humour of his thoughts died down, Thor began to wonder if there wasn't some truth behind those amused thoughts.

"What am I doing…?" Thor sighed loudly with a hint of irritation as he stared up at the roof of Loki's canopy bed which was adorned with Loki's favourite hue of emerald green. "What in Hel am I going to do?" He whispered to himself.

Following Thor's question was nothing but silence as Loki's empty room gave him no answers, _much like the man himself wouldn't have_, Thor thought with chagrin as he heard a knock on the door across the hall.

* * *

"_He is here?_"

Two tall frost giants strode into the hall of ice, silver and black pine, their hurried steps telling of their eagerness and their eyes shining with excitement. Hlín, Sol and Laufey stood in wait as the pair approached the trinity. Helblindi, the taller one, had short black hair that sat around his ears. He was tall, thin, clean shaven, resembled his father in likeness and was at least two-hundred years younger than the one who stood beside him. Býleistr was the older of the two frost giants. Sporting a mane of fire-red hair – an accident from when he was a young child causing this… mishap of hair colour – and a thick beard that matched, he was rather large round the middle, though he was still very tall. Both of them however, had the most beautiful midnight skin, with Býleistr only a few shades darker than his brother.

Hlín gave an amused chuckle at the pair's eagerness for news of their lost brother. Helblindi plastered on a smile as he smirked at his mother, sarcastic expression upon his handsome face. Ignoring her amusement, Býleistr turned to his father.

"Well?" Býleistr inquired curiously but warily.

"Yes," replied Laufey gently. "But he's… a bit fragile."

Býleistr nodded solemnly as he began to stroke his flourishing beard, and Helblindi frowned in thought.

"How's he taking it?" Helblindi quickly piped up.

Laufey sighed as all four eyes turned onto him. "He's getting better. …He joined us for a meal last night, but he didn't eat much – only an eple. Hel, I can't believe I'm saying this but, I'm beginning to think less that Odin mistreated him and more that Loki chose – and still chooses – to starve himself!"

Both of the brothers frowned, concern clearly written across their faces.

"When can we meet him?" Býleistr asked hesitantly.

Four hours later, Laufey Þrymrjarson sat beside his youngest son, who'd only now allowed Laufey to touch him after a solid half an hour of waiting. Laufey had been informed by Helblindi of some strange markings that he believed Laufey should take a look at and so, Laufey had promptly marched to his youngest son's bedroom and asked Loki to show him what Helblindi had spoken of. Yet, it was only now that Loki had finally dropped his glamour; his Æsir façade melting away to reveal his beautiful, midnight blue Jötun skin. _It was so unnatural and uncomfortable for Loki… _It was liked he'd been asked to strip naked in front of a room full of people.

Loki sat on the floor, his shirt off and facing away from Laufey as the king gasped at what he saw upon his son's back. Loki peaked over his shoulder at his father with well-concealed apprehension in his eyes.

"D-don't touch them." Loki's voice cracked with apprehension. Laufey assured him that he wouldn't touch his back unless Loki himself allowed it. Laufey looked at the scars running down Loki's back. Ugly and deep, Laufey couldn't help but think that at some point his child must've endured some sort of horrific torture.

"Loki," he murmured, a hint of anger concealed in his voice, his eyes never leaving the scars that ran down his back. "How did you obtain these scars?"

When Loki didn't answer immediately, Laufey instantly assumed the worst. "_Did Odin give these to you?!"_ Laufey yelled, his rage becoming plain. An image of Odin came into Laufey's mind and the frost giant seriously considered declaring war against the Æsir; Laufey wanted Odin _dead_, with his head served to Laufey on a silver platter. After everything Odin had done to his family, he deserved nothing less than to be tortured for eternity!

Loki shuddered, afraid of Laufey's voice. "No…" Loki replied quietly. Loki's fear did not go unnoticed by the frost giant king, and Laufey forced himself to calm, for Loki's sake. "Odin knows not of these scars either, nor Frigga… or Thor. I made sure of that."

At Loki's words, Laufey's rage quelled minutely, but not by much. "Then tell me Loki, say, who done this unto you!"

For a moment Loki hesitated, but with a final sigh the man gave in.

"His name is Týr." Loki let out a shuddering breath and then collected himself before continuing. "Týr is the captain of the guards in Ásgard and, as such, he is considered to be the best swordsman and warrior in Ásgard after Odin and Thor. Because he is considered such a great warrior, father made Thor and I … I mean, _Odin_ made Thor and I receive lessons with him. At first we had lessons together, but Thor became so good that Týr suggested to Odin we take separate lessons. Odin agreed, and after that we were separated. But, as soon as Týr had me alone, I had no Thor to watch out for me anymore. Týr never liked me, and his training sessions were… more than brutal. After two solid hours of it, it was all I could do to _stand,_ let alone fight. I had always been weaker than my brother, Týr knew this; he took advantage of it…"

Laufey listened attentively for the next hour as Loki spoke of his 'training' on Ásgard, though Laufey would have been lying if he said he had considered it to as such. To him, training a Seiðmenn in the art of sword play, or more to the point, expecting him to be as good as any normal man, seemed both stupid and torturous. Seiðmenn were not only known for their great Seiðr abilities, but also the fact that they were unlike normal Jötun and Æsir, and Laufey had not seen a Seiðmenn or Seiðkonur with Loki's talent in centuries. The last person Laufey could recall with such talents would have been his late mother, murdered by a man that Laufey feared, even now, after his long passing. Seiðr were known for their emotional connections and their great foresight, but they were slight and weak of hand. Most could not lift themselves from their beds using only their muscles. Most Seiðr would only use magic in their daily lives, and most Seiðr were considered cripple because of their lack of strength. Yet sometimes, as in Loki's case, the right combination of strength and Seiðr magic would be present at birth, and the child would be born without disability.

_Three hours previous… _

A knock on Loki's bedroom door startled him from his daydreams. Loki had been staring out the window, down to the snow covered ice below him, an open book left forgotten in his hand. The midnight-haired man ignored it for a moment, thinking it was a servant who wished to bring him more strange Jötun food, but suddenly his door was opened, and much to his surprise, a tall and unfamiliar frost giant walked through, stomping as loudly as Thor might've were Loki back home.

Dropping the book, Loki summoned his seiðr and prepared himself for battle against Ásgard's greatest enemy before remembering that, he too was now a part of this category. The black-haired Jötun froze in the doorway, his hand still attached to the golden door knob, warily watching for any further moves Loki might make. But when the taller frost giant realised that Loki was watching him in the same manor, the frost giant relaxed somewhat and entered Loki's room, closing the door behind him.

"Hey," Helblindi greeted Loki with a casual smile as he proceeded further into Loki's room. "Don't worry little brother, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Loki doubted Helblindi words, but the older Jötun quickly proceeded to sit down on Loki's bed. "We had to draw lots, Býleistr and I," Helblindi continued, hoping to ease Loki's doubts about him and trying to show Loki that he wasn't a threat. "To see who'd get the honour of meeting our little brother first. He obviously got the shorter stick!" Helblindi grinned again, but Loki remained unmoved, still eyeing him distrustfully from his position near the window.

"Oh, I haven't introduced myself," the older frost giant suddenly realised. "I'm Helblindi, your brother. _Technically_ I'm your half-brother, and I'm second in line to the throne, after Býleistr."

"Half-brother?" Loki suddenly blurted out, dropping his guard somewhat, and sitting on the far edge of the bed.

Finally getting Loki to speak encouraged Helblindi, and the Jötun smiled in success. "Yep, Býleistr and I are your half-brothers. We were born of Laufey and Fárbauti. Our mother was killed in the war between the Jötun and the Æsir – the first one that Odin led that is. Váli was Hlín's first born then Sol, and afterwards, you. Much like you Loki, I didn't really know my mother. Býleistr and I consider Hlín our mother, and I know she considers us her sons as well. Besides, I wouldn't have two little brothers and a little sister if father hadn't found a new bōndi."

Loki was silent as he thought on Helblindi's words. With a pang of sorrow, Loki recalled Frigga's smiling face and her auburn hair that sparkled radiantly in the sun. Even when Loki was being dwarfed by Thor's shadow, Frigga had still always made time for her second son. _But I wasn't really her son_, Loki reminded himself bitterly as his thoughts changed direction. _It didn't really matter what I did, or what I could do, I would never match up to Thor in her or Odin's eyes…__  
_  
"Loki?" Helblindi pressed after a long bout of silence from his little brother who still wore a glamour that made him appear Æsir. When Loki didn't respond, Helblindi gently reached over and touched Loki's bare shoulder. With a hiss of anger, Loki ripped himself from Helblindi's reach, scrambling up and quickly backing against the dark pine and aspen dresser that was enormously taller than Loki. Loki's glamour melted away before he could stop it, and for one heartbeat of a moment, Helblindi saw the scars that his little brother had concealed with his glamour along his neck, trailing downwards.

Helblindi sat frozen in shock as Loki veered away from him out of distrust – almost cat-like in his manor. The image Helblindi had witnessed had suddenly been burned into his mind, and Helblindi quickly decided he wouldn't ask. A part of him really didn't _want_ to know, but at the same time, Helblindi desperately wanted to help his little brother who had clearly been through a lot. He knew that he was going to have to tell their father…

* * *

Thor Odinson stepped into the library for the fourth time in the second week of Loki's absence. Although many had noticed, many just attributed it to Thor's grief for his loss – Loki had spent almost all his time in the library so it was reasonable to assume that Thor would go there when missing his little brother. Everyone around the Ásgard palace seemed to treat Loki's nonappearance as his death, but far more quickly than people had assumed, Thor had stopped drowning in his despair and had headed towards the library…

* * *

**Meow!  
New A/N: 25/06/2014**

_**So um, I'm "amending" my chapters at  
the moment. I didn't like some bits. So  
if you've read this story before date above,  
please feel free to reread the chapters. Haha...**_

_***awkward moment of silence for the awkward author***_

_**I'll post the "amended" third chapter soon! Please  
keep supporting me!**_


	3. Wordy Delusions of Deceit

This chapter is a bit late and I forwardly apologise. I got a bit caught up in life and will be busy throughout this month and most of July with mid-term exams and assessments. Thusly, I again apologise for the next two months. **I aim to release of the first of every month**but unfortunately I might not make it exactly on the day. I am (lazily) also looking for a beta reader for this story so if you're interested, please PM me~! Also, I'm sorry that this chapter is so soppy. I only realised how OOC it was until I did the final edit. Okay onto the actual story.

* * *

_Chapter Three__/__Kapittel Tre:_

_The __sound of his chamber door creaking open tore Loki from his morose, depressing thoughts, and the emerald-eyed __Jötun__ looked up in surprise, temporarily distracted from his anxieties. A tuft of golden hair popped comically out from behind it and if Loki hadn't been drowning in distress, he might have laughed at the mildly amusing sight._

"_Brother? May I come in?" Thor hesitated with unusual distress marring his features._

_Loki drew a deep, jagged breath that shook his frame. As he puffed out the inhaled air, the word "sure" came out with it._

_Thor entered his brother's smaller chambers of green, gold and black watchfully, and he made his way over to where his little brother sat somberly. _

_His brow creased with concern as he looked at Loki. The young __Jötun__ point-blank _refused_ to make eye-contact with him – the feeling of shame welling-up inside Loki because he wasn't the same as his big brother – although Thor did not seem to notice. The blonde Æsir sat down beside his younger brother on the wooden chest and, although he raised his hand to put on his brother's shoulder, he thought better of it and let it drop to his side._

_Thor's heart ached so much as he looked at the desolate wreck of a man beside him. Only two days ago had Odin informed him (and indeed the rest of Ásgard) of what Loki was, but as it turned out, they weren't the only ones who didn't know about the __Jötun__ in their midst. Loki himself was still reeling in the shock, days later._

_After a few moments of awkward silence Thor finally heard his little brother speak through unmoving lips._

"_D-Do you hate it?" Loki whispered, cheeks heating up, ashamed of everything he was. He let his head hang and he clasped his hands together as he leant his elbows on his knees. _

"_Do you hate me_?_"_

_Taken aback, Thor looked at his brother in pure astonishment. Not once had the thought of hating his little brother crossed his mind. Not even after finding out that he was the seed of Ásgard's greatest enemy: King Laufey of __Jötunheimr._

"_Loki…" He finally managed to breathe. "I could never hate you. You're my little brother, I would never–"_

"_Everyone else does though," Loki quietly interjected, causing Thor to lapse into silence. "Everyone knows what I am now; I hear them talk about me daily as they spit in my direction. I'm a __Jötun! A thing! A monster–! Don't you see Thor?! I'm the nightmare that children dream at night. I'm the _thing_ that people want dead.__"_

_Thor's hand curled into a tight fist as he heard his brother's words and saw his expression of abhorrent loathing directed inwardly._

"_The palace is full of gossip-starved sharks Loki; you should pay them no heed!" Thor all but yelled, trying to boost his brother's feelings of self-worth. "No one of any _real _importance thinks these things Loki, I swear!"_

"_Please, do not lie to me brother." Loki replied plainly, continuing to keep his eyes glued to the ink-black floor. "I know they are not the only ones in saying these things."_

"_Who else has said such horrid words about you brother?! I will smite them where they stand!" Thor declared in blinding anger, practically ready to hunt them down immediately. Sure, his brother might be a __Jötun, but he was still the second prince of __Ásgard and no one had known otherwise until Odin had confessed his crime!_

"_You will not." Loki replied knowingly as he closed his eyes, attempting to keep his emotions contained. "Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun and the Lady Sif had such a conversation about me only yesterday." _

_Thor's mouth fell into a perfect O as he took in his raven-haired brother's words. _

"_Even Father…" Loki trailed off as he moved his hands to cover his face. Loki refused to cry in front of Thor again. He would hold steady. He was not a child anymore!_

"_Father does not hate you!" Thor argued, outraged at the notion that Loki believed their father to hate him._

_Loki, having pushed back his tears, removed his hands from his face and for the first time he looked up into Thor's ocean-blue eyes. The sorrow and anger that Thor saw swimming in Loki's eyes was enough to make him draw a shaky breath._

"_Maybe…" Loki replied bitterly. "But, he certainly doesn't love me."_

_Thor bit his lip uncertainly. If his life had been anything like it was only a few days ago, Thor would have vehemently disagreed with his brother. He would have proclaimed with absolute certainty from every corner of the palace that their father loved Loki as much as he loved Thor, but now things were different. Things had changed… and Thor was not as sure as he once had been._

"_Loki I'm sure that's not–"_

"_After all, how could he." Loki interrupted again, his eyes glazed over with disgust as he directed them back to the ground. He looked at the floor with a scrunched up expression that Thor could not name. "I'm not even _Æsir_! I'm not something he's ever going to see as a son!"_

_Thor looked upon his brother helplessly. "Loki," Thor grasped his brother's wrist and forced his brother to face him. "Y–"_

_But Thor did not even get to begin. A sudden realization came over Loki's face as Thor jolted his head upwards, and before he knew it, Loki was spitting out thoughts he'd never before contemplated. _

"_I – I'm j-just… I'm just a _war trophy_…" Loki whispered, growing pale. The young __Jötun__ dropped his eyes and froze where he sat. But Loki wasn't the only one coming to terms with this realization. Thor was utterly shocked. Never would he have ever thought his younger brother to think like this. But with this sudden chain of events spinning out of control, Thor felt that his perfect life was being shattered like glass. The sibling he loved was being ripped away from him – both mentally and soon, physically also, but Thor would not tell his brother that they were soon to be parted. He had only recently been told of Loki's imminent departure, and no one had yet had the heart to tell Loki of his fate. Thor would protect Loki. And as he had not yet managed to sway Odin's thoughts on the subject, keeping Loki in the dark would stop him from further suffering._

"_Loki," Thor gripped his shoulders and forced Loki to look him in the eyes. "No matter what you believe or what anyone says to you from here onwards, I want you to know something and I want you to carry it with you… use it as a shield if you must. Just know this, _I will always see you as my brother_, I will always love you Loki. No matter what anyone says to you, this will always be true. No matter what father's intentions were all those years ago – war trophy or not – just know that _my _feelings are real. You're my brother Loki and I swear upon the names of my ancestors that this will never change."_

_As his brother spoke, Loki's eyes widened into black orbs the size of dinner plates. After a second of silence and hesitation, Loki grabbed Thor's upper arm and gripped it tightly, leaning his head against his brother's shoulder for support. Thor just petted his brother calmly on the head with his other free arm._

"_Thank you Thor." Loki whispered almost imperceptibly as Thor miserably stroked his brother's hair. The incredible sadness within Loki's words caused his chest to seize up. A tight constriction filled with anguish gripped his heart. There were very few times in his life where Thor had felt quite so powerless._

_Pulling his brother into a tight hug, he nestled Loki's head against his collarbone. Ordinarily, Loki would've pulled away from such open affection, as deep down he believed that everyone else saw it as weakness; making Loki feel like a child again. Yet, being held in his brother's embrace made Loki feel completely safe – as though no one could touch him because Thor was there to protect him from harm._

I promise Loki, I'll come for you. I'll bring you home. _Thor thought to himself._

Thor was suddenly jolted from his dream by the sound of a heavy crash. The blonde Æsir immediately stood, kicking back the chair he had been sitting on and seizing his hammer – Mjölnir. Looking around the library where Thor had fallen asleep, he tried to pinpoint the source of the heavy crash before looking down and quickly reaching the conclusion that a stack of books falling from the table to the floor was what had harshly pulled him from his slumber.

For four long weeks Thor had been coming here, and while he'd learned some strange and destructive secrets, it turned out that every lead had been a dead end.

The blonde Æsir sighed and bent down to pick up the fallen books realising that, other than his noisy rustling, the library was silent. _I guess that's why Loki liked it so much… _Thor mused silently as he set the books back onto the table with a dull thud.

The palace library was a grand structure that had four circular sections with domed roofs, each with bookshelves that reached the ceiling. The main section – the one that Thor currently sat in – was by far the largest and the tallest, and had bookshelves covering almost all of the walls. Each walled bookshelf was roughly one-hundred meters tall, but each book was meticulously kept by the nine librarians that haunted the dusty rooms. Every librarian bar one was female and all had Seiðr abilities. The palace only hired people who could get books down with magic – otherwise it was far too troublesome.

The floors were all crafted of tainted, polished marble consisting of gold, crimson and white – Ásgard's three main colours, and the ceilings were all made from stained glass that reined a multitude of colour down upon anyone inside the library at midday.

In each section there was a help desk manned by a librarian during the hours of nine in the morning to five in the evening, and throughout the library there were tables with chairs for scholars to sit at and read their hefty tomes. Each table had an emerald and gold lamp upon it, although Thor could have sworn that when he was a child the lamps were a cream colour, not green.

The three smaller sections were all very similar to the main section but were at least half the height and size. The biggest of the smaller sections branched out to the left and another to the right, and adjoining the right section was the third and final room which was just about the size of Thor's chambers. Each room was connected by a handcrafted marble arch, which had various sculptures of legends coming out of the stone.

Thor sighed dejectedly, once again sitting down at the dark pine study desk. He began flicking through another large tome, hoping that he would find some sort of clue as to how he could rescue his brother from Jötunheimr before the next century, although, at this rate it didn't seem likely.

* * *

"Ah, _goddamn it, _where in Hel's name did he go?!"

Ducking under a tiny stone arch that led to a small passageway, Loki kept out of sight of the cluster of guards following him. He'd quickly learned a multitude of escape routes – helpful hints from the cooks and the maids who absolutely adored the mischievous prince – plus, he'd already been to the library and found a book with a layout of the palace.

He'd already learned many things about his new home and the people who inhabited it in the short time he'd been living in Jötunheimr. The most obvious, but least shocking had been that, frost giants were only about the size of Æsir. He'd quickly realised that he had been a fool to listen and believe the ancient tales of the Æsir. It turned out, to Loki's surprise, that the only Jötun that had actually been _a true giant_ was the first, and the mother of all Jötnar, Ymir. However, Loki was still considered small by both peoples – Æsir _and_ Jötun.

Loki's delusions of small-born hatred were also quickly dismissed. It turned out that Jötun did not abuse their small-borns as the Æsir believed. Instead, Loki had concluded that most Jötnar were just curious about them, as healthy small-borns were born so few and far between. Unfortunately, quite a number of the members around the palace had taken a rather curious interest in the youngest prince, and this had led to a series of events including some mischief on his behalf and now, thanks to Laufey no doubt, Loki had been assigned a quintet of assorted soldiers.

For the fourth time this week, Loki had managed to give them the slip. He found them mildly maddening at times – (seriously, he was a grown man, he did not need _babysitters_) – yet what was most annoying was that they showered their attention on him. He didn't _want_ to be the center of anyone's attention, especially after so many years of being blatantly ignored.

Loki found it odd to even be considered attention _worthy_ on the Jötunheimr world. In Ásgard, no one had looked upon him as a beauty – solely because of the colour of his hair. Being the shiny colour of midnight instead of the luxurious sun-kissed gold, had been seen as a terribly bad omen and often Loki had overheard guests of the palace say this directly to his mother and father. No one had looked upon him for his strength either, especially when he was compared to Thor – his physical stature was nothing to be proud of.

"_Caught ya!" _A tight grip clenched around arm, quickly pulling Loki from his distracted thoughts. A surprised yelp unintentionally left his throat, after which he tried to yank his arm away, but with little success.

A tall guard by the name of Tön hauled him out of his hiding place, and Loki was greeted irritably by four other ugly mugs of pissed off Jötnar guards: Eliás, Vylik, Jöyx, Hýrjm. Tön was the head of Loki's guards, and the man towered above the youngest prince, making Loki wonder – not for the first time – if Tön actually could be considered a giant.

"Laufeyson Loki, could you _please_ stop disappearing from our sight. We have been ordered by the King to keep watch over you during–"

"I don't need to be watched!" Loki spat venomously.

"Being that as it may–"

"I am perfectly capable of looking after myself!" He continued, hissing aggressively.

Tön sighed tiredly as he watched each of the guards try and lecture Loki before being growled at viciously and backing off. The prince was far too much trouble than he would've liked at this stage, though, he couldn't deny that he had already become rather endeared to the young man. Loki had a feisty personality that had come as a breath of fresh air to him, and more importantly, the fact that the prince resembled his own brother made Tön want to protect and guard the coal-haired imp.

Loki ripped his arm from the elder Jötun's grasp and started walking sullenly down the hallway as he rubbed his wrist sorely. "I don't know why I need an escort," Loki sulked. "I never needed one in Ásgard."

He watched the five other Jötun flinch at the word he had casually tossed into conversation with a satisfied smirk.

"This is not _Ásgard_ young prince." Tön replied tightly, choking slightly on the word "Ásgard" as it filled his mouth.

Loki grinned inwardly as he heard Tön's rigid reply. He got his kicks by watching the five flinch and wince ever time he mentioned the word Ásgard or her people. He especially liked the time when he had casually referred to Odin and everyone had tensed and paled.

"Still, one would think that I wouldn't need protection on my home world now would I?" Loki continued dismissively. He already knew his escort wasn't really for his protection: the words _baby-sitting crew_ again came to mind.

The five fell silent. They knew as well as Loki that it wasn't for his protection, but continued with the charade anyhow.

When nobody said a word, Loki "hmph'ed" and sped up to a brisk pace – heading towards the library where he felt most comfortable. The group _was _slightly annoying, but truth be told, he actually rather liked the group of five and Tön was reassuringly similar to Thor in his mannerisms.

As he strode down the ice embellished stone hallway, his mind began to drift desolately onto the topic of his older brother back on Ásgard. Although Loki couldn't deny that he liked his Jötun family, there was still something missing – a something that was tall, blonde and extremely Æsir. Thor had been his best friend. Everyone else may have thought this strange, but Loki thought it rather normal considering that everyone else around his age had thought him a freak and a girly-boy for practicing Seiðr magic.

The group reached the limestone library in a good amount of time and since the guards were sure that the trickster wouldn't make any mischief if he was emerged in his books, they largely left him alone.

Much like the library he'd grown up in on Ásgard, the library was vast although the two shared little other than that. The palace library on Jötunheimr was nowhere near as tall height-wise – everything was within arm's reach – and the entire library was filled with ice tables and chairs that seemed to never melt, no matter what temperature they were subjected to (Loki had tried burning a chair to see if it would melt). The bookshelves themselves were far easier to navigate as they all had labels above them with the topic nature of their books.

In a corner of the library that Loki had claimed as his, he settled down onto a huge cushion next to his pile of unread books. Picking up a book entitled "_A Historic and Scientific Account of the Relation of __Seiðr __Jötun_", Loki opened the front cover and turned to the first page. What he wasn't expecting was that, immediately after opening to the page, the words would scramble to rearrange themselves before his very eyes.

"_What the–!_" He exclaimed abruptly, dropping the book in surprise.

The well-worn book remained on the page he had opened to and Loki peered at it suspiciously with a single arched brow. Dismissing his immediate shock and retrieving the book from the ground warily, he noticed that a sentence had formed across the top of the page while the other letters sat in a jumbled pile at the bottom.

Spying his name he quickly began reading, guarded yet keen.

_Loki, if you are reading this then it means I have succeeded in finding a way to communicate with you. Anything you write on this page will appear on the sister page that I have. Please write back within twenty-four hours so that I know I have succeeded in reaching you._

_Your brother, Thor._

Loki looked down at the page in surprise. Surely this was a prank. Yes, that was it: someone was trying to trick him! If he wrote on the paper he would feel like a fool. _He_ was the trickster, _he_ didn't get tricked. Not to mention he would be ruining a _book_ if he wrote back.

Jokes such as this had been pulled over him before. Similar things had been done to him as a child by other Æsir children or by bored guards who just wanted a laugh at his expense. If the people of Jötunheimr thought he would fall for the same thing again, _they were dead wrong_.

Yet, in his homesick state, Loki didn't want it to be a stupid prank. He _badly_ wanted to believe that Thor was trying to find a way to bring him home. Desperately wanting to believe it because everyone else in his life had left him; abandoned him for some reason. Everyone had given him up, or given him away, or left him by himself – everyone except Thor. Thor had not yet let him down and Loki _needed_ someone not to give up on him. Laufey and Odin – both of them had discarded him like an unwanted dog. They could both try and deny it, but he knew that neither of them had any real excuses as to why they'd left him on his own. His mothers' – Frigga and Hlín – neither of them seemed to care an overly large amount about his welfare. He'd barely met Hlín, speaking to her only once since his arrival, and Frigga had sent him away, barely protesting as Loki was figuratively torn from her arms.

Loki squeezed his eyes shut and with a dry gulp he swallowed the bitterness in his mouth. He was disappointed in himself. He could never allow himself to think like this. He knew it was a ruse. He knew.

But still…

Loki picked up the book, and after hiding it in the folds of his coat, he made his way out of the library. His heart slowly burning with every step he took and his head spinning with radical thoughts.

* * *

**Amended: 27/06/2014**


	4. The Jötun Book

_Well, I have returned! I finished this chapter earlier than I thought I would (I got on a roll today and finished it much earlier than I had originally planned) though, I'm kind of nervous. I've never had so many followers on any of my stories before and I'm worried because now there's more pressure to make it turn out okay (WAAAH! PRESSURE!)_

_But with that, this will be a double chapter month (awesome) and I'll still publish another chapter next month. I hope you all enjoy._

_{O} – Börr = Can be pronounced either as [bo:]/[bow] or with a light [r] on the very end: [bo:r]_  
_{O} – Bölþorn = [bʊ:lθorn]/[ Bolthorn]_  
_{O} – Bestla = As is read. (Best-lah)_  
_{O} – Búri = [bjøri]/[b-yu-ri]_

* * *

_Chapter Four__/__Kapittel Fire:_

Loki lay face down on his green, silky pillow with only the corner of his mouth, half of his nose and one eye visible. It was midnight and the Jötun ice palace was silent; the only audible noise was the sound of his breath and the snowy blizzard raging violently outside.

In the time that Loki had spent here, he'd somehow already managed to turn his room into an unfathomable mess that he did notwant to clean. He wasn't quite sure _how_ he'd managed to get the room quite so messy in only just over a month, but honestly, it made the room feel more homely. His own room had never been in such a state of disarray before, but Thor's had always been a huge mess. The tall wardrobe on his left held a mountain of books on the inside and on the top and every spare surface was covered in parchment, plus books and experiments that Loki liked to run. The midnight floor bore most of the brunt, holding several large piles of clothes and, again, more books.

From where he lay, Loki glared at a single book that sat across from him. The book sat on an ornately carved, wood and ice bedside-table beside him. The table had figurines of Jötun warriors slaying mighty beasts and standing on mountains of ice wolves, but as for the book, there really wasn't anything special about it… aside from the fact that someone had decided that they would pull a prank on him by writing him a note that claimed it was from Thor.

However, he'd gone to bed that night with the words swimming in his brain, unable to put them out of his mind… Words that did_ sound_ very much like Thor…

"…_Loki, if you are reading this then it means I have succeeded in finding a way to communicate with you. Anything you write on this page will appear on the sister page that I have. Please write back within twenty-four hours so that I know I have succeeded in reaching you._

_Your brother, Thor…"_

Loki growled as he turned over, forcing himself to look away from the book and close his eyes. _This was stupid_. This made him feel like a complete idiot. Someone was just trying to see if they could trick the trickster. That was all this was!

…_But what if it's real?_

Again Loki rolled over. He turned back to the book with an audible huff and eyed it dubiously yet _again. _

"UGH! Fine!" He exclaimed a few moments later, resolving to toss away his pride just this once.

He would write in the friggin' book, and if nothing came out of it then he could always burn the bloody thing! He would feel like a fool, but no one else would have to know of his idiocy and therefore his embarrassment would be his own.

Sitting upright, throwing the heavy fur blankets off and casting a magic light into the air which shined a magnificent yellow colour, Loki reached for a writing implement and the book that sat on his bedside table amongst other scattered things.

With the book in his hand, he opened to the page where the note had originally been written. For a moment he looked at it and then reread the text. It looked so similar to Thor's handwriting, and the clumsy, oafish nature of the words used did _sound_ like something Thor might write…

With a sigh, Loki placed the tip of the writing tool against the page and wrote a single word.

_Thor…?_

Then, suddenly the magic text that had previously been on the page disappeared, which left only Loki's cursive handwriting upon the blank parchment-paper. Loki stared at the word for a few minutes, not expecting much and preparing to write a longer note to his "brother" – whoever that person might _actually_ be – when suddenly his word vanished as another appeared.

_LOKI!_

The word appeared alarmingly, giving Loki a mild shock before he reasserted himself. Loki looked down at the hastily scratched word with narrowed eyes as it disappeared from the page and a longer sentence replaced it.

_Loki it's me, Thor! I've finally found a way to reach you, thank Valhalla. There's so much I want to say and want to ask – how are you? Are you alright over there? They're not hurting you are they?_

Loki felt a sudden bout of homesickness return as he read the words before him. Even if this person wasn't Thor… It still caused him to long for his Æsir family…

With a start Loki realised how ridiculous he was being.

He snorted to himself, slammed the book shut and threw it on the bed before pacing around the messy room in his night clothes. "Why should I care how they feel about me?" He ranted to the empty room. "_They_ were the ones who _stole_ me from my people, from my rightful place!" He shouted, jutting out a finger to emphasize just whom exactly he blamed.

"_They're _nothing but _monsters_!" He yelled openly, "Nothing but kidnappers of children!"

With a sudden burst of anger he pushed over a pile of books, causing them to crash to the ground loudly, after which, he heard a short, startled scream from a few rooms down. But he was too angry to care whom he'd woken.

He stomped over to the mirror in the corner of the room a glared at himself, repulsed by what he saw. The white skin and green eyes that Odin had forced upon him as a child was a disguise to hide what he really was… Disguising him so that when Odin looked upon him he wouldn't see a lost Jötun babe, but an Æsir boy that seemed out of place in a world full of golden-haired beauties.

Loki felt his rage come over him as he looked at himself. He didn't belong _anywhere!_ This form was only keeping him out of the hearts of both Odin and Laufey!

"NO! THOR I'M NOT OKAY!" he screamed, responding vocally to "Thor's" earlier question as he pushed the mirror over and watched it crash to the ground into a thousand tiny pieces. "_I'm not okay!_ I'm not Æsir and I don't look Jötun, _so what the hell am I?_"

Loki sunk to his hands and knees and let out huge, ugly sobs as he heard the door open but dismissed the noise.

"What the hell–!" Laufey exclaimed softly before he heard the noises of his son's sobbing.

Rounding the bed, Laufey was heart-broken by what he saw. His little Loki was crying honestly, his hands and knees bloody from leaning on the smashed mirror. All Laufey could see was the obvious waves of hurt and betrayal that were coming off his son so strongly.

"Loki…" He whispered, quickly hurrying over to his son and gathering the boy in his arms. For really, Loki was only a boy… However much he claimed to be a full grown man, when Laufey looked at his son, all he saw was a broken child who did not understand what was happening to him.

With Laufey's arms wrapped around him, Loki's glamour began to melt away and when Laufey next looked into his son's eyes, they were the same crimson red as his own.

Laufey took his son out from his room and they went to Loki's en suite where Laufey drew a hot bath so that Loki could wash the blood from his hands and knees. It was at that moment that the older Jötun realised that Loki's scars ran deeper than the surface of his skin.

* * *

"_Prince __Börr__! She is here: your future fiancé!" A short Page exclaimed excitedly, running up to the prince of __Ásgard._

_Börr__ snorted loudly. "Honestly, I don't know why I need to marry at this age. I've only just come of age! I don't want to be tied down with my father's stupid 'obligations'. Besides," he added in a scathing tone, "she's a _Jötun_, an ugly beast! Why should a prince have to marry an ugly beast?"_

"_Sire," sighed the young knight-in-training, "you'd better not let your father or your soon-to-be fiancé hear you say such things. You'll end up in deep trouble. Besides, you know why you have to marry her: it's to reconcile our people. Jötunheimr wants to avoid war as much as we do, so please remain on your best behaviour!"_

_Börr__ eyed his Page before rolling his eyes. "You know, for a Page, you're awfully naggy. Sometimes I think I mistake you for my mother."_

_The pair had just reached the great hall and the small Page flushed with embarrassment as __Börr__ backhandedly gave him praise._

"_J… Just remember –!" The Page yelled out as the prince crossed the threshold of the courtroom doors._

"—_best behaviour, yeah, yeah I got it!"_

_The young knight-in-training smirked at the prince's words, and turning on his heel, he ran off to attend his errands._

_Meanwhile, __Börr_ _walked determinedly towards the throne room as he nervously adjusted the cuffs on his cream shirt. Upon reaching the door, __Börr placed his shaking hand upon the wood and pushed the heavy thing open._

"_Ah! Börr my son, you've arrived! How nice of you to keep our _guests_ waiting!" Börr was greeted with thick sarcasm from his father __Búri, King of __Ásgard._

_The prince bowed low to the Jötun guests and apologised as formally as he could._

"_Never mind your tardiness young prince, you are here now and that is all that matters to young Bestla and I." Börr heard a male voice speak in deep, ringing tones._

_For a brief second, the prince's face furrowed. _Bestla_. Even her name made her sound like a beast._

"_Please, raise your head young prince." The male voice ordered politely._

_Yet as Börr rose from his bow, he was unprepared for the sight that greeted him. Beside a tall, dark blue Jötun male who sported dark black hair and crimson eyes, was a beautiful young maiden who appeared to be… _Æsir!? _She had long gold hair that reached her waist, sun-kissed skin and blue eyes that sparkled like ocean water. _

_His mouth dropped open, causing him to gape at the pair and forgetting formality. "Eh? But you're not Jötun! You look nothing like a Jötun!"_

"_Börr—!" His father hissed. But __Búri was interrupted by the beautiful woman who stood before __Börr._

_She stepped forward and with a polite smile, she replied to the prince's outburst of surprise. "It is true that I do not look Jötun, but that is because I wear a glamour that makes me appear like a full-blooded __Æsir. I am actually a half and I can do this because I carry __seiðr in my veins – I was studying to be a full __seiðkonur_ _before I was told I had to marry you."_

"_Bestla__—!" This time it was Bestla's father who hissed._

_But again, the bold woman interrupted by decidedly removing her glamour. "This is what I really look like," she announced as her pale skin melted away to reveal dark blue lines along her snowy coloured skin. Her hair changed from a glorious blonde to a rich, earthy brown and her blue eyes appeared to be brown and black with little flecks of red cast around the iris._

_As she stood there with her glamour melted away, it was all Börr could do not to gasp at her beauty. Honestly, her true form was even more impressive than her glamour and the prince wondered if he had ever seen a more beautiful woman._

"_Bestla__—!" Hissed her father again, "You're not making a very good impression!"_

"_On the contrary __Bölþorn, I think my son is enchanted with your daughter's natural beauty." Interjected __Búri with a booming laugh that echoed throughout the entire chamber._

_At the sound of his father's laugh, __Börr was spurred out of his stupor and into action – this was something he had been ordered to do. If he had to marry a Jötun woman, he would definitely marry the prettiest. He carefully stepped over to Bestla and took her hand between his._

_Getting on his knee he looked into her mysterious eyes and steeled himself._

"_Bestla, the most beautiful Jötun I have ever laid my eyes on. For the good of our two peoples, I ask that you accept my hand in marriage and become my queen when I ascend to the throne of __Ásgard."_

_Bestla couldn't have seemed more uninterested in his proposal, but he knew she would accept. It was obvious that they were both being forced into this marriage, but there was little either of them could do. They would just have to deal with whatever came next._

"_Börr, future king of __Ásgard and son of __Búri, I accept your hand in marriage and hope that you would take my hand to be my husband."_

_Börr stood and pulled out a ring from his back pocket._

"_Please accept my grandmother's wedding ring as a sign of our marriage." He said, slipping an engagement ring on her left hand._

"_On Jötunheimr it is customary to give a gift in return," replied Bestla, not missing a beat. The half Jötun waved her hand over the air and out of nowhere appeared a necklace. The necklace was blue and in the center swirled a mysterious blue substance that made Börr immediately suspicious._

"_This is my grandfather's – it is a necklace with Jötun ice magic inside. Once upon a time there was a second Casket of Ancient Winters, though it went by another name. The casket was destroyed long ago in a war between our two peoples, but my grandfather found this tiny piece which had scattered in the snow. It is said to bring health and prosperity to anyone who wears it."_

_The prince allowed her to tie the necklace around his neck and it quickly turned a golden colour._

"_It is also said to reflect the heart of the bearer, but I do not know how to translate the colour of the necklace to the soul of the wearer."_

"_Thank you, it is very beautiful."_

_After a few more formalities, Bestla and her father __Bölþorn left the throne room and made their way back to Heimdall's gate with an escort of __Æsir guards, leaving __Börr_ _alone with his father._

"_Well," said __Búri a few moments later, clapping a hand over his son's shoulder. "I think that went rather well, even though you _were_ late."_

"_Yes…" __Börr agreed, though somewhat absentmindedly._

"_She's a feisty one though; you're going to have to keep an eye on a woman like that!" __Búri chortled as he made to exit the throne room._

_Börr grimaced, touching the newly placed item around his neck. _

"_Maybe…" he murmured so that only he could hear. "Maybe…"_

* * *

In Ásgard, Thor sat impatiently at the oaken desk in Loki's room. He sat staring out of the full-length window at the orange, pink and purple sky which had blazes of blinding gold highlighting the edges of huge pink, fluffy clouds. He rapped his finger over the wood of the table anxiously. _It's been two hours now…_ Thor couldn't help but wonder what had happened, and every time he thought about his brother he became more and more anxious.

Two hours ago Thor had been finishing up in the training ring with the warriors three – Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun – who had managed to drag Thor out of the library where he'd become a recluse to in Loki's absence. Truthfully, everyone was a little worried about the blonde prince. It had been well over a month since Loki's departure, but still Thor was acting as if he'd only been gone a few days. His determination to "rescue" his little brother was perturbing to everyone. But unknown to everybody, Thor had made great progress in his attempts to reach Loki, and his latest project sat on the bench just outside the ring.

Thor had been toweling himself off after a vigorous workout with Volstagg as he habitually reached for the little book he had found. The book was ancient and pages were falling out. It didn't have any title but was bound tightly with a leather cover. Inside the front cover was a note from the author and an explanation as to how the book worked.

Thor had learned that the seiðr infused book was actually a Jötun creation. Once one wrote the name of the person they wished to contact on a blank page, the book would link a sort of "messenger portal" to the last book that the person they were trying to contact touched. Thor thought this was a genius idea – Loki read books, constantly! So he'd written Loki's name on the top of a blank page and then wrote his message below.

But after checking the book persistently for the entire day, Thor was beginning to give up hope that Loki _had_ received his message. Yet, he'd opened the book on his lap as he dried his sweaty forehead, to find a single word glaring back at him questioningly.

_Thor…?_

Loki's bold, cursive handwriting was plainly written below his last message. It was certainly Loki's handwriting, of that he was certain. No one else wrote Thor's name with such a huge and strangely shaped 'T'. Honestly, Thor envied his brother's handwriting as his own was scratchy looking and looked as though he'd spent no time working on it since he was a child.

The Æsir prince was shocked, but quickly attempted to recover himself. Loki was probably looking at the book right now, so he had to hurry! Dashing inside the palace at lightning speed, he tried to find a quill or some other writing tool that he could use to reply to his little brother's message and finally, he managed to snatch a quill off a maid who had been in the middle of writing a letter to her lover.

Thor ignored her angry protests as he scratched down his reply.

_LOKI!_

He'd begun, trying to make sure his brother didn't think he was some trickster trying to pull one over him. But quickly, he asked the questions he'd wanted to know the answers to for over a month now. Not once had he and his brother spoken since Loki had left, and this wasn't an opportunity that Thor was willing to waste.

_Loki it's me, Thor! I've finally found a way to reach you, thank Valhalla. There's so much I want to say and want to ask – how are you? Are you alright over there? They're not hurting you are they?_

Each question came out rapidly. Thor had to know if Loki was alright. What if the Jötun had hurt him, or what if he was slowly starving to death!

Yet, two hours later, he was sitting at the desk in Loki's room without reply, becoming more anxious by the minute.

"_Loki…" _He muttered to himself as he stared at the blank section of paper before him. _"Why haven't you answered me little brother… What happened?"_

Thor picked up a quill, opened Loki's half-empty ink pot and dabbed the tip inside.

_Loki, please reply! I'm desperate to know if you're alright –_

He wrote hastily before stopping abruptly. _What if Loki thinks that the person he's talking to isn't me? _He thought had been fooled enough times to think that this could be some sort of prank… He had to prove otherwise.

_Loki, I know you think this could be a prank. I know you well, so I know that's what you think is going on here. So I will share a secret that only three people know, you, me and one other person._

_When we were of early age, this person had golden hair, but then one day it mysteriously turned black. No one knew what had happened to this person's hair. But I knew it was you, and this person also knew it was you but was so ashamed that they didn't tell anyone that you had secretly cut their hair._

_So only you can answer me this question: whose hair did you cut Loki?_

Thor dried the quill and closed up the ink pot. He had finally found a way to reach his brother, now all he had to do was prove his identity and Loki would know that he could trust the mysterious ink that appeared upon his books.

All he had to do was get Loki to trust him.

… _easier said than done._

* * *

**_Also, please review! (but be nice? though of course I don't mind constructive criticism.) _**


	5. Unexpected Surprises

Um, hi everyone…

So, this is chapter five and again, I'm sorry it seems somewhat disjointed… I promise it'll make sense as I go on! Please leave a review if you liked it… or didn't…

Also, I'm curious to know how many people would still read this if it was a Thorki story, please just comment in a review if you would. **It isn't a Thorki story and won't become one for reasons I cannot disclose at this time**, but I _am _just curious. This story focuses more on family love – hence why it is catagorised under this subject – but someone sent me a review asking if it could become a Thorki, so I became curious.

Anyway! Thank you for reading, I hope to hear from all you lovely people! See you next month!

* * *

_Chapter Five/ Kapittel Fem:_

"_Well, I'll leave you two to get better acquainted then!" Börr's father, Búri, boomed with a chuckle as he left Börr and his fiancé Bestla alone, in the quiet lily garden of the __Æsir palace. _

_Bestla was dressed in a white gown of swan feathers and silk that reached her knees and created a cross-hatched pattern over her neck and shoulders. Her golden hair curled limply around her waist and her hands trembled slightly as she picked up the cup of tea she was supposedly drinking. The pair of them were seated at a white table for two in the centre of the garden, beside the largest lily-pond where white and black swans swam gracefully along the top of the crystal waters and white lilies bloomed._

"_You can drop that glamour you know; it's only the two of us."__ Börr said more harshly than he'd meant too. It was Bestla's second day in the palace, and gone were any pretences that she was a woman who could stand her own alone, though she was still rather snappy towards her future husband._

_She nodded silently, and her golden hair and blue eyes were replaced with earthy tresses and flecks of red around the centre of her dark-brown eyes. Spirals of blue wound their way up her arms and framed her face so that she became even_ _lovelier than when she covered herself up with a fake __Æsir glamour._

_Secretly __Börr was enchanted with her beauty, but her attitude was another matter. She was rude and always spoke to him as though she knew more than he did; it put him off to no end, though he was always lured back in again with her captivating beauty._

_In an attempt to have an actual conversation with his future wife, he started by asking her about her homeland._

"_What is __Jötunheimr like exactly? I've never been to the ice world before, is it really as they say? A world covered completely in snow and ice?"_

_Bestla looked up from her cup of half empty tea and looked him in the eye, apparently curious as to why he was asking her such questions._

"_Yes." She replied simply a few moments later. "But, at the same time it is much more than that. Off-worlder's like to think that that is all there is to Jötunheimr, but of course, not many stay on Jötunheimr for more than a few days. The cold tends to get to people you see…"_

_Börr nodded, attempting to show actual interest in her boring recount of what her ice-world was like, but Bestla mistook it for enthusiasm, and her lips curled upwards into a tiny smile as she continued on._

"_There are trees in the Valley of the Warrior that bloom only once a year with a fruit so sweet that, if you eat more than one, you will become intoxicated and unable to move. Oh, but they are so delicious! And there are jewel mines that are filled with a blue crystal that shines like nothing you've ever seen. And in the wild mountains, there are wolves bigger than bears and a __Jötun__ is said to become a true warrior once he has slain such a mighty beast. But, the creatures themselves are actually rather intelligent, which was why I was trying to stop people from hunting them. They're nearly extinct you know, and if it keeps going on then there will be no more left! But, I'm still trying! There are a group of us that are trying to prevent the hunting of the Fenir wolves, and even from __Ásgard I can do research and send over letters."_

_Over the course of the afternoon, __Börr found himself actually engaged with the conversation he was having with his fiancé. He asked questions and she replied, and then she inquired about things on __Ásgard __and he told her what she wanted to know. For the first time he'd been in her company, he'd actually enjoyed himself, and the pair found themselves laughing at each other's tales of embarrassment and hilarity. He found that his future wife was actually a rather spirited woman, not dissimilar to many __Æsir warriors._

_The pair finally reached a hilly bank and __Börr asked Bestla if she'd take a seat with him upon the grass._

"_Bestla," he began openly and honestly, looking her straight in the eye. "I know this marriage isn't really what either of us wanted for ourselves, but I'm asking you now… are you truly averse to having me as your husband?"_

_Börr paused and the silence between them was only punctuated by the sound of flapping wings and the honking of the swans on the lake._

"_I-If you are," Börr continued hurried after he received no reply, "I may somehow be able to stop this wedding... our people may not ever see eye to eye if we do not go through with this, but I wanted to take your feelings into account. I know you are passionate about your homeland, and I would be a terrible husband – and king – if I didn't listen to the people… or my fiancé…"_

_Bestla returned Börr's gaze, although it made her uncomfortable, and she too spoke plainly._

"_All I truly desire is for my homeland to prosper and flourish. I may not love you, but you are a good man… though pigheaded and slightly boorish," she teased with a smile, "and if I do marry a man out of duty, I would see that man honour his duty as well. I can see clearly that you respect your people and you want to become a good king, and if I became a queen, that is the type of man I would want to marry."_

_Börr looked down at the grass silently and blushed profusely, embarrassed by her serious speech. _

"_Hm," she pondered as she turned her gaze toward the open blue sky. Börr glanced up at her and gave her a questioning look when she did not continue._

_When she saw his confusion she broke out into a breathtaking smile. "No, it's just… I think that's the first time I've paid you a proper compliment."_

_Suddenly Börr broke his silence and the air was filled with the sound of pearly laughter. Soon, Bestla joined in as well and Börr began to think that this marriage might not be so bad after all._

* * *

Loki looked down at the book in his lap and sighed inwardly

"_Loki, please reply! I'm desperate to know if you're alright," _read the first line on the page. "_Loki, I know you think this could be a prank. I know you well, so I know that's what you think is going on here. So I will share a secret that only three people know, you, me and one other person._

_When we were of early age, this person had golden hair, but then one day it mysteriously turned black. No one knew what had happened to this person's hair. But I knew it was you, and this person also knew it was you but was so ashamed that they didn't tell anyone that you had secretly cut their hair._

_So only you can answer me this question: whose hair did you cut Loki?"_

Loki twitched uncomfortably in his spot as the answer to Thor's question came to his mind.

It was Sif's hair. He'd chopped it off because she'd been bragging about how beautiful her hair looked when the sun shone on it and he'd become angry and upset with her. He knew now that she'd done it because she wanted praise and attention, and they'd both been but children at the time.

Loki had snuck into her chambers the same evening, sliced off her hair and then magically dyed it black so that the gold would never shine again. When she'd woken the next day she was absolutely horrified. Her golden hair had turned a muddy black; the colour of stagnant river water, and its short crop gave her a boyish look. When Loki had seen her in the hall the next day he gave her a satisfied smirk and it was then that she immediately knew who the culprit was… But of course, Thor had seen his satisfied smirk too and had made him apologise to Sif later. Yet none of them had ever spoken a word of what had transpired since that time. Loki hadn't because he would have landed himself in trouble, Sif hadn't because she was far too ashamed to admit that she'd let her guard down enough for Loki – the weakest of all the children – to sneak into her chambers and chop her valuable hair, and Thor hadn't because he respected Sif's wishes and also didn't want to see Loki punished too severely. In all honesty, Thor was a pretty good big brother considering all things.

_A good big brother, yes…_

Loki felt a pang of homesickness. Truthfully he was getting sick of missing his family and hating them at the same time. He was so angry at them, but at the same time he wanted to see them and be hugged by them and given a warm welcome back into their arms. But these thoughts made him confused, and he became lost from running around in circles, making him angry at himself.

Why should he feel angry at himself? _It was them that had done him wrong_… but… they'd raised him… Odin had called himself Loki's _father_ and Frigga his _mother_. He hadn't been their hostage. He hadn't been a prisoner of Ásgard but a _prince_, and he'd been loved…

He _wanted_ to believe that their love was only surface deep – solely for the purpose of his rage. That way he would have an easier time hating them and letting go, so that he could finally accept his _true_ family. But he knew he couldn't fool himself so easily.

He'd reflected on their actions: Frigga's and Odin's. He realised that he couldn't deny that they _must've _loved him; at some point there _must_ have been real love in their hearts for him. Maybe they'd only being doing what they'd thought to be right? Maybe the tears Frigga had cried when she sent him off were real. Maybe she really did love him, miss him and want him to live a happy life. Perhaps Odin hadn't picked him up as a war trophy… maybe he'd seen _more _than that when he'd looked at him as an infant.

For surely their interactions over his lifetime couldn't have _all _been fake. When he'd cried in his mother's arms and she'd comforted him… surely they couldn't have _all_ been pretend. And when he'd run up to his father, ready to show him some new skill he'd learned… surely the pride he'd seen behind those old, unfathomable eyes had been _somewhat_ real…

"_I don't know what to think anymore…"_ he mumbled to himself helplessly as he tossed the book onto his pillow and fell backwards onto his covers. He needed to know if he had been loved… if he was _still_ loved.

"_Knock, knock?" _A male voice from outside his chambers echoed in the hallway, the words accompanied by an actual knock on the heavy door.

Startled, Loki quickly pulled himself upright before calling out to allow the person entrance.

"Prince Loki?" Tön, the captain of his personal guard appeared round the doorway.

Loki was surprised at this unexpected visitor; he'd most definitely been expecting Laufey or one of his older siblings. Yet, as surprised as he was, he thought it to be a rather pleasant one – mainly because Tön reminded him of Thor.

"Sir Tön, what brings you at such a late hour?"

"Ah, it isn't much – your family wished for me to relay that the meal has been prepared."

"Oh…" replied Loki, who wasn't particularly fond of… people in general. "Thank you."

Tön nodded and took his leave, but upon spying Loki's expression on his way out the door, turned and hesitated at the door.

"Prince Loki," he said softly before Loki looked up, surprised. "It may not be my place to say this but… I hope you can rely on me… if there is something that truly troubles you, I would be glad to lend an ear."

o0o0o0o

* * *

"How is he doing?" Hlín asked her husband quietly as she sat down beside him at the dinner table where her family was gathered for their evening meal. Everyone was there, but with the exception of their newest edition, and her youngest: Loki.

Laufey sighed, regret in his eyes. "I thought he was doing better; adjusting to our way of life and accepting who he is but… Last night… he seemed like a completely different person. He's just so full of hate. For us, for _them_… even himself… I don't know what I'm doing Hlín. I don't know how to help him… _I've never felt quite this powerless before_."

Hlín nodded silently as she let her husband have his moment. It was in times like this that she knew she was playing the true role of a queen. Being able to help her husband, console him and advise him was her role. Though, in this particular matter, she felt just as helpless and lost as he.

"After I woke this morning I went to check on him but, he hadn't moved from where I left him on the bed. He just _lay there..._ eyes open, staring up at the canopy of his – strike me for what I'm saying but – I'm beginning to wonder if bringing him to Jötunheimr was really what was best for him."

Hlín paused, lapsing into complete silence as she read deeply into the implications of what Laufey was saying. "Y... you can't mean that Laufey. He is our _son_, he belongs here… on Jötunheimr – with _us_! We're his _family_! We would really be monsters if we abandoned him now."

Laufey looked up at his bōndi in shock. "_No!_" he exclaimed as he realised what she had taken from his words. "Hel forbid we _abandon _him. I would never suggest such a thing!"

Hlín visibly relaxed as she finally grasped her husband's meaning. "Oh, you think… that… we should have left him with _them_? Asked them to continue taking care of our son? That we should have asked them not to harm him and forgotten about the Casket?"

Silently, Laufey cast his eyes downwards to the floor and Hlín's brow furrowed as she quickly cast a glance around the room to see the rest of her children staring down at their food with tension in their shoulders. Quickly she drew in a breath. "While I don't like what you're saying, I must agree with you to some degree. But,"

There was silence around the room as Hlín cast her eyes to the marble floor, but before she could speak again, an unexpected knock came from the huge wooden doors.

"Enter!" called Laufey loudly, allowing the tall captain of Loki's guards to cross the threshold into the dining hall.

Tön walked into the room and bowed towards the table before Laufey told him to rise and speak.

"I'm sorry your majesties, prince Loki does not wish to eat tonight. I tried to convince him, but he was adamant."

Laufey and Hlín reached for each other's hand under the table, and Laufey gave Hlín's hand a little squeeze of comfort when they found each other.

"Thank you, Captain." Laufey sighed as he dismissed the Jötun from his sight.

Hlín turned to her husband and looking him straight in the eye, she continued from where they'd left off. "If we had chosen the Casket of Winters over our own son… how would we still call ourselves parents? And have you forgotten Odin's threat already? I have no doubt that Odin would have made good on his promise to kill him if we hadn't chosen our Loki." She uttered in hushed tones.

Laufey exhaled in dismay. "You're right… I _know_ you're right, but still, surely there is _some _way to snap him out of this… _depression_ he seems to be going through."

Tön paused in the doorway, and for the second time that night he hesitated when it concerned the royal family.

"King Laufey," he ejected loudly after fighting down his uncertainty and reservations. He spun around and faced the royal couple and their children. "I think I may have an answer to your problem."

_This idea is going to get me killed! _Was Tön's last thought before he drew in a waving breath and cleared his throat.

* * *

"Where in Hel's name are we going Váli?" Loki scowled with mild irritation as his brother led him down hallway after hallway.

"Just follow me~!" Váli sang merrily as he practically skipped down the hallway, making Loki stumble behind at an awkward pace. "Mother and Father want to see you."

Loki was bothered by how little Váli was telling him, and Loki was unconsciously afraid of what was awaiting him at his destination.

"Ah! We're here!" Váli grinned over his shoulder as they reached a pair of doors that would lead Loki somewhere unknown to him.

Loki sucked in a shaky breath as Váli winked at him before pushing the doorway open with a fair bit of effort. At first, there appeared to be no one in the room, so Loki uncertainly stepped forward. Váli gave him a shove from behind – well, really all he did was clap him on the shoulder – and told him to stop being so cowardly, but the unintended push sent Loki stumbling forward into the back of someone he didn't know!

"Ah! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there." Loki apologised as he tried to right himself.

However, everything suddenly seemed to happen all at once and the young, black-haired Jötun was pulled into a bone crushing hug as his family all reached to pull him away. Loki heard somebody squeak, and then somebody let out a booming laugh, and then Loki heard Laufey telling everyone to calm down and then Váli was suddenly apologising! Not to mention someone else seemed to be patting him and kissing his hair whilst the first person refused to give him over and continued trying to squeeze the life out of him.

It was only when Loki heard someone say that he was turning purple did the first person let him go and grip his shoulders instead. Dizzily, he drew back and tried to make out what had just happened. Yet, unexpectedly, a face came into his vision and everything else fell away. Loki gripped the arm of the man before him as he stared into eyes that seemed to be abyss's of sparkling sapphire.

"Yeah, it's me Loki." Replied the Æsir in front of him to the unspoken question Loki had just asked as the older man pulled him into another brotherly hug.

"_Thor_…?" Loki whispered, already on the verge of tears.

"I'm here Loki," replied Thor as he pulled him closer.

And that was all it took. Loki was suddenly a child again as he gripped his older brother's favoured red cape tightly, letting loose his pent up anger and fear and sorrow. He wailed and cried, and when he could not stand anymore, Thor supported his weight. He supported him, just as he always had.


	6. Wait For Me

_Chapter Six/ Kapittel Seks:_

"Your majesties," Tön began, his speech shaky as he tried to overcome the nerves that were telling him that what he was about to say would surely get him placed under arrest for treason! "Regarding Prince Loki… Well, when I spoke with him earlier this evening, I told him that I would lend an ear to his troubles if he wished for it, so he spoke to me of what was on his mind."

King Laufey was suddenly alert – if Captain Tön had gotten through to his son, maybe there was something he could do to help. Hel, he knew he would do _anything_ to help Loki at this point. All he wanted was to have his family whole again – something that could not be achieved if Loki kept them all at an arm's length.

"Please Captain," Laufey pressed insistently when he realised that Tön was reluctant to disclose what Loki had said, "Say whatever you please, I promise that whatever you say will not be held against you."

Tön cleared his throat once more and in a deep, serious tone he spoke, "Very well." He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath to steady and prepare himself for the onslaught he was about to unleash – as nicely as possible – onto the royal family.

"Prince Loki is unsure how to proceed regarding… you…

He is angry because… he does not know you as his real family – though he wants to and he is trying, desperately. When he spoke to me, he referred to you as his "_true"_ family, but the way he was… it seemed that… whom he really regards as his family is his _Æsir_ family – he just doesn't understand and he's so confused. The one person he really seems to miss is his older brother, and to me it became apparent that the only reason he trusted me was because I seemed like his older brother – Thor, I think it was."

Tön paused and readied himself to deliver the idea that would surely get him killed.

"I– I think that _he_ is the only person who can pull Prince Loki out of this. Forgive me for this your majesties but… perhaps you should think of reconciling Prince Loki with his older brother."

"What?" Býleistr burst forth with a torrent of anger. "Does he not have enough older brothers?! Is three not enough?! Must we bring in another one from _Ásgard!?_" he shouted at Tön who was abruptly taken back by this sudden burst of anger from the crown prince.

"Silence Býleistr!" Laufey snapped icily, his red eyes casting a fearsome glare upon his child. His eldest son sank back into his chair, already knowing that if he pushed his father any further there would be dire consequences. "This is about what is best for Loki, not for _you_."

"Býleistr's right though," Helblindi interjected far more calmly, trying the slow and steady approach that Laufey might listen to. "And you also seem to be taking this a little far father. If we bring an Æsir here, who knows what might happen – this is Jötunheimr, the Æsir aren't exactly _welcomed_ here... for good reason." He muttered under his breath.

"Listen well all of you," Laufey's eyes snaked over his children as he rounded on them, icicles of death in his voice as he spoke in a frosty superiority which made his children shudder as the temperature in the room quickly jumped twenty degrees lower. "You all seem to think that I am going to refuse Loki the help he needs because the brother he _happened_ to bond with was not Jötun. You all know that I will do anything to help a child of mine; none of you know what he's been through in his lifetime – even _I_ do not know what that arrogant _King" _Laufey practically spat the word as Odin's face came to his mind "put him through. And do I have to remind you," Laufey glared at Helblindi accusingly, "of the scars we have seen on his back. They may be only physical but I am sure that there are many more upon his soul."

Helblindi bowed his head silently and stared at his food. He had completely forgotten about Loki's scars… perhaps his father was right… Loki was surely traumatized not only on his skin but in his heart as well.

"If his Æsir brother is the only one who can help him then, at this point, I am willing to bring him here. I am willing to go as far as necessary to help Loki recover and I would do the same for any and all of you." Laufey concluded as his children hung their heads and remained silent.

"Captain Tön," Laufey started anew as he rounded on the tall man by the door and brought the temperature back up to something less deathly. "Please relay to the scribes that we wish for them to draft an invitation to Prince Thor of Ásgard."

Tön nodded before bowing and leaving. The tall, well muscled captain felt well relieved now that he knew his head would not be severed from his shoulders.

* * *

"_Brother_… Is it… really…?" Loki's voice trembled and his hope and shock was plain for all to see; Loki seemed almost in a daze, unaware of everyone else around him. When Laufey looked at his son standing in the arms of his enemy, he quaked internally with rage but, as he stood and watched his youngest call the Æsir before him _"brother"_ with such earnest, even Laufey found he could not stop the tears pricking in the backs of his eyes.

"Aye Loki," said the tall, blonde Æsir. He too showed open emotion as he embraced his younger brother tightly. The slight body he cradled in his arms lovingly had to be a hallucination – surely this was all a happy dream. He'd been working _so hard_ to find a way to Jötunheimr. Yet, all of his efforts had seemed in vain… until unexpectedly and out of nowhere, he'd been invited to Jötunheimr – though none of that mattered now; Loki was back with him again and he was _safe_. This time he was going to _protect _his little brother.

Loki suddenly struggled in Thor's grip and the older let him go. Thor beamed at him as he pulled back and looked at Loki's shocked expression. "Why are you here?" Loki breathed, looking up and searching his brother's sky blue eyes for an answer or an explanation.

"I had to see you Loki, I've been _trying_ to find a way to see you for weeks. In answer to your question though, I was invited here… and so was mother."

"_Mother_…?" Loki turned to his left to find a golden haired beauty standing alongside his brother.

"Loki," the tears that she had been holding for so long broke their banks and she began to weep in earnest as Loki pulled her into a tight hug. "Loki how I've _missed_ you!"

"I've missed you too mother!"

Laufey gripped his wife's hand tightly as Hlín began to quake. "It's alright love." Laufey whispered into her ear as they continued watching the exchange in front of them.

Suddenly Loki's brow furrowed and he turned to look at his Jötun family. His eyes focused in on Laufey who appeared to be gripping his _true_ mother's hand.

"Why did you bring them here?" Loki asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing.

"They're our guests Loki; we brought them here for _you_." Laufey replied. All eyes in the room focused on Loki and the magnificent king.

"But _why…?_" Loki pressed as Thor lumbered over to his side.

"We thought they might help you…" Hlín spoke up.

* * *

_It was one day until the wedding; the wedding that would surely change __Jötun and __Æsir history; the wedding that would bind two warring worlds and unite them as equals. Peace would ensue throughout both worlds and trade would flourish. The peoples of both planets would be happy. _

_Bestla had no qualms about her duty. She knew who she was, what she had to become and what she had to do in order for her ideals to succeed. She did, however, reject the fact that men only wanted her for her face, not her head. Though, her battle for equality was resting on an entirely different set of weights at the moment. She just wanted the Æsir people to _see_ that her kind were not the monsters that they were made out to be, and she wanted the __Jötun people to know that the __Æsir were not _all _bad. No one was _all _bad._

_That was why she sat ever patiently inside her room as she was poked and prodded by beauticians and magicians alike. There could not be one little slip up tomorrow. Not even a hair was allowed to be out of place. Both kingdoms would be watching her every move. Waiting to see if she batted an eye when her fiancé touched her, if she faked a smile, if she paused between the words "I" and "do" – it all had to be real; flawless and real. She had to _love _him. Even if it was only for one day, she had to pretend that the man she was marrying was the greatest love of her life. She had to convince everybody that they were soul mates because there was too much at stake for her to risk over a half-hearted bluff. Her world, this world… too much was at stake. _

_Prince __Börr – or Prince Bore as she had secretly named him – suddenly entered her chambers, much apparently to the delight of her ever gossiping hand-maidens._

"_Besta…?"_

_The future queen turned away from her reflection in the mirror which sat elegantly upon her white chest of drawers and faced Börr. _

_He gasped slightly a recoiled when he saw her appearance. "What have they done to you?! We cannot marry with you looking like this!"_

_She frowned and her face mask cracked before she remembered and smoothed out her features._

"_Oh just excellent, Prince Party-pooper has arrived." Bestla joked as she dismissed her hand-maidens and all the other __Æsir__ in the room with a few flicks of her hand. "I dunno, I think I look rather ravishing covered in Algarien purifying algae – you don't think so?"_

"_Bestla," Börr hissed seriously as he made sure there was no one else in the room. "Now is not the time to be making jokes, be serious would you?"_

"_I am being serious," she replied, pretending to be distracted by picking up her hand mirror and poking at a blemish that wasn't there. She had so much fun teasing the prince who wouldn't stop freaking out over getting married; who wouldn't?_

"_You are _obviously_ NOT being serious! Here I am, stressing out over you – Ugh! What the hell am I going to do with you?!"_

_Bestla put the hand mirror down; suddenly the joke wasn't funny anymore._

"_Listen up YOU – " she said standing and facing Börr with an angry expression which ruined her mask. "Everything will go just fine as long as you can remember to say your part. I will manage things just fine on my own – I'm _not _some damsel in distress, so you worry about yourself and stop thinking that I am some… some weakling!"_

_She sat back down with a huff and dipped her cloth in the hot basin before her as Börr frowned with irritation._

"_Look, I'm not saying that you can't. All I'm saying is that you need to act overly in love with me – even now – because there are spies in the castle for sure, and if we don't act like a lovey-dovey couple, they'll suspect something is up when we marry!" _

"_That would've been nice to know before now…" she remarked in a tone which seemed far too casual as she began removing the face mask with her wash cloth._

_Börr huffed and sat down on a chair beside her. "Yeah, well… you know now. I thought you would've worked that one out by yourself…"_

_Bestla gave a little 'hmph'. "We didn't need to be so cautious on Jötunheimr, there were no spies in my house and no one wanted to topple you from your seat of power like they apparently do here."_

"_Yeah, well whatever…" Börr stood, and started to make his way to the exit way. "Just don't be late to the altar."_

_Bestla smiled wryly. "Speak for yourself!"_

_Börr lingered in the doorway and the pair of their shared an amused smirk before Börr left and made his way back to wherever he had come._

'God,' _Bestla thought to herself as she removed the last of her green face mask and looked herself dead in the eye. _'This is going to be one heck of a wedding!'

* * *

"I don't understand…" Loki said as he shook his head in confusion and denial. "They're your _enemies_… why would you bring them here…?

Slowly Laufey approached his youngest son, and with a slow, deliberate movement, he placed a hand on Loki's shoulder and looked him in his emerald green eyes. Yet just as Laufey was about to speak, something hardened in Loki's eyes and he shook off his father's hand.

"No," he started as he shook his head and took a step back angrily. "No, this… this is all wrong… something's wrong here, someone's lying to me!"

Looking all around the room he glared at everyone, suddenly suspicious of his entire family – no one could be trusted, Odin had already taught him _that _lesson.

"Don't think you can _lie _to me! I am the god of lies!" He yelled, backing up against the icy walls as Thor and Laufey both pasted on confused and worried expressions.

"We're not lying to you Loki –"

"No one's lying Loki –"

"NO! _Shut-up!" _He shouted, his breath becoming laboured.

The room was silent, but Loki still seemed to be spinning out of control.

"Loki _please_ –" Thor began, but was brusquely shut down when Loki tore from the room at full speed. "Loki, _WAIT –!"_

Thor ran after his younger brother, still hoping that with his strength and agility, he would be able to catch up to the man he had only just been reunited with. Thor continued to call after his younger brother as the pair ran – Loki in front and Thor lumbering behind – through the icy hallways of the Jötun palace.

_Please Loki, wait for me!_

* * *

_Ahhh, _Hi everyone! It's me again :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter even though its shorter than usual... I suffered from severe writer's block and also a case of not wanting to write anything that made me need to think. hahaha, but thank you all for reading again ;) As always, please leave a review if you feel so inclined - they always make my day.


	7. A Brother Is Still A Brother

_Chapter Seven/Kapittel Syv:_

"Damn it Loki! Where in Odin's name are you?!" Thor anxiously cried out into the blizzard swirling all around him. Using his arm, the huge Æsir prince shielded himself from the harsh winds and the dangerous ice lashing against his face.

Loki had taken off, running madly down the hallways of the ice palace and Thor had immediately followed after his troubled sibling. The young Jötun had sprinted outside into the blisteringly cold winds and had then proceeded further into the snow-storm.

Damn his little brother; _he'd only been trying to help!_ This was not the reaction Thor had been expecting, nor was it the one he'd wanted. It was selfish of him to think this way, he knew that... but still, part of him was angry that Loki had run off all while declaring that he – Thor – had been lying! Thor didn't lie. _Loki _was the god of lies, not Thor.

Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over him.

_Loki wasn't a liar._

People– _Æsir_ people –had taunted and convinced him into _thinking _that he was, but Loki lied no more than the next person. They'd been intimidated by Loki's gifts and so picked on him and Thor could not even imagine what Loki was feeling right now. After all, Loki would suspect everyone to lie to him after what their father had done… though, Thor didn't imagine that Loki would consider Odin his father anymore… he probably didn't even consider Thor his _brother _anymore. Loki didn't need him, he had new brothers… probably better brother's than he. Thor felt very ashamed to think of himself as Loki's brother; Loki deserved someone better than him. He deserved someone who would be there to stand for him and protect him when he could not.

He shook his head, clearing it before resuming his search. Right now, none of it mattered. All that mattered was straightening things out – apologising for all the mistakes that he'd made. "Loki!" He shouted out again, the distress building as yet again there was no audible reply. "Please—"

Thor sunk to his knees in the thick covering of freezing snow. He'd never felt more useless. Loki was always the one anomaly in his life that he'd never been able to really figure out; his little brother was an enigma to him. Thor was lost, chaos reigning over his emotions. He was angry, sorrowful and full of pity – _his family was falling apart!_ Father had changed and barely looked at him now that the reality of Loki's situation had finally seemed to hit him, and his mother wandered around the palace listlessly as she seemed to unconsciously await her youngest son's return.

Thor had thought everything would change when he'd received a miracle invitation from Jötunheimr, but nothing good had yet come of his arrival to this wasteland. He could only think the worst of this situation he'd found himself in.

"LOKI–!" He bellowed helplessly from his place in the snowfall. The sound was quickly carried away by the brutal winds and Thor again received no response.

Slowly, after burying his deep despair inside his fracturing heart, Thor rose and drew himself into standing position. He couldn't remain out here much longer. He would freeze to death if he stayed and searched. His heart and mind were heavy with grief and defeat. Loki was _rejecting _him. Thor had always been the one person that Loki had turned to if his situation was dire. Their bond as brothers had always been strong, and they'd always secretly admired what the other could do – despite the occasional taunt or tease. Yet now, Thor found himself in a position he'd never faced before: the very real reality that Loki no longer _wanted _his help. _After all, how could Loki trust after such a grievous, heinous betrayal?_

* * *

"_How DARE you!"_

_Odin looked up from his place by the toy box, startled by the intrusive, angry sound of his father's voice. Watching quietly, Odin was even _more _shocked when he saw his mother holding her cheek in her hand and the young boy's eyes widened as he realised that his ever gentle father had actually _hit _his mother across the face. _

_Due to turn six in a week, Odin watched the incredible scene unfold before his very eyes, though he understood very little of it. His father was yelling angrily, spewing words that Odin did not know or understand such as 'betrayal' and 'Jötun'. The young boy had never seen his handsome father like this! His daddy was nice and gentle, he hated violence and his mother was of similar character though she had always been more subdued than he._

_His mother cried helplessly as his father, Börr, continued to rage louder and more violently. Börr swung his fists around angrily as Bestla cried, apologised and tried to stay out of reach of her husband._

"_I'm so sorry! I never meant for this to happen!"_

"_You _lied _to me Bestla! You BETRAYED me! After all this time I thought I had your respect, hell, even your LOVE. But I find out that you've gone and done such a thing as this!?_

"_It wasn't my fault–!"_

"_That is a complete farce and you know it! Your kind are all liars and tricksters, I never should have let that Jötun THING into our home. I should have known it was all a lie! Peace between our people? Hah! IT SHALL NEVER BE!"_

_Odin's father angrily stormed out of the room and the young boy's eyes began to water as hot tears welled up. His mother stumbled over her long gown as she tried to catch up with her husband who strode furiously out of the throne room. Bestla's face was streaked with tears that fell completely unchecked, and Odin watched as the traumatic scene came to a close._

_All alone in the throne room, his little heart beat wildly in his chest as he tried to calm himself and process what he'd seen. He looked down to find that the toy he'd been gripping had become slightly bent from his tight hold. Dropping the item, Odin sat stock still, his laboured, frightened breathing the only thing sounding in the empty, echoing chamber. It wasn't long until he started to wail, and after a few long minutes he was taken into the arms of a maid who attempted to comfort the crying prince._

* * *

**Yo! It's me and I'm back!**

**So, yeah, I'm sorry this is so short. I know you've all been waiting a long time for me to continue this and *cries* "I'm so sorry". Honestly, I'm really struggling to find the motivation to write Distances, hell, I'm struggling to find the motivation to write anything at the moment, but Distances really has me in a corner. I have the plot laid out but actually writing it is hard...**

**Therefore, in order to make myself more motivated, I've decided to make the chapters shorter and then maybe I'll be able to continue this. I hope this chapter was okay, and if you did like it, pls leave a review.**

**Much Love,  
Soulhearts**


	8. The Guilt of a King

_Chapter Eight/Kapittel åtte:_

Odin Allfather, King of Ásgard sat atop his throne in deep, troubled thought. Two peasants below him presented their case over a petty squabble involving one man's cow, a stack of barley, a broken wheel and the neighbour's wife. And though many of the lords and ladies, judges and jurors attending court that day found it to be rather amusing to watch the lower class bicker about their problems, Odin did not. The god's mind was only paying half attention and his thoughts wandered to the realm of his personal problems.

_Jötunheimr_…

His wife and two sons were on that icy planet, devoid of any humanity or compassion. He worried for his wife and eldest, but he knew that Frigga and Thor could take care of themselves. Frigga, his wife, was one of the strongest magic users in Ásgard and she wasn't weak with a blade either, and Thor was a decorated hero who saw dangerous quests as an afternoon hiking trip. It was his youngest that truly worried him: Loki Odinson. He had never been an emotionally strong child and what he had done to his adopted son… what _had _he done? How could he have just given Loki up like that? Surely there must have been another way, _any _other way! The look of abandonment Loki had given him as he turned to leave his son on the icy planet still haunted his dreams, and now that his wife was no longer beside him at night, he was frequently awoken by horrific nightmares of Loki attacking not only Jötunheimr and Ásgard, but Midgard and other realms as well.

"_How do you like me now, father? Am I not stronger now? Am I not the same as Thor now? I have learned what it is you want from me. You never saw me as a son; you took me from my home! I was a trophy, yes, but more than that. I was supposed to be your _weapon_. You never cared for me as you did Thor, and now I understand why!"_

What he saw in his nightmares made him shudder. His little Loki blamed _him _for all the misfortune in his life, and it was true. He'd never been there for his son when he'd been most needed. He'd turned Loki away telling him that warriors did not cry or show weakness. In his nightmares, Loki announced to him that he was everything that Odin had ever wanted him to be. He was strong, proud, befitting of his role. But as he cut down thousands of warriors from all over the galaxy without even a glimmer of remorse as the blood of his enemies streaked down his face like tears, Odin finally saw what he'd forced his son to become. He'd forced Loki to become the monster that he'd always secretly feared the Jötun child would be.

"_I will show you father! I will make you watch as I become the weapon you always wanted me to be! You will be there, powerless as I cut down your warriors and burn __Ásgard until it is nothing more than an empty shell, an empty husk of what it once was. Then Ásgard and I will be the same. Will you abandon Ásgard, father? Will you abandon her as you did me?" _

_What a fool he was_. He _did _see Loki as his son. He would always be a little Odinson... Though he knew that the justification would never be enough. The trophy and the weapon Loki was and could have become faded with every passing year that the child had grown into a young man. Odin had truly forgotten that Loki was not of his loins. Never…. He'd _never _meant to hurt Loki. But he had, over and over and over again. He'd stabbed his child repeatedly with every careless comment he'd made. Every time he'd turned his back and walked away, he'd carved out a little piece of Loki's soul. He'd pushed his son further away and one piece at a time, he'd stripped him of all his innocence. And then, eventually, he'd found that the void Loki had retreated into to escape the loneliness, refused to let him in. It had happened so swiftly that Odin hadn't noticed at all. One day he'd reached for his son, and Loki was not there.

Odin was suddenly pulled from his familial worries by a Lord to his left.

"Your highness? They await your verdict…" the handsome man muttered, obviously confused by his silence. Odin hadn't really been listening at all and if he handed out a sentence, it would not be fair for either party.

"Jury, what are your thoughts?"

Quickly the jury discussed, relieving the King of his unwanted burden and finally, they concluded and Odin executed the decision.

After the pair of farmers left, Odin called the session to a close and everyone dismissed themselves as the king headed to his chambers in order to think in peace and quiet. However, there was no such luck for the king. His memories of the nightmares he'd been having kept repeating over in his mind. Loki, yelling at him… standing atop mountains of warriors he'd slain with his seiðr. Odin knew that none of it made sense – Loki would never be strong enough to defeat so many, he'd never had strength like Thor and though his magic was strong, he'd never used it for many things that didn't involve smoke, mirrors and shadows – but somehow, the look in his son's eyes made him cringe in fear.

"_You never cared for me as you did Thor, and now I understand why!"_

"_You never cared for me as you did Thor, and now I understand why!"_

"_You never cared for me as you did Thor, and now I understand why!"_

"ENOUGH!" Odin roared to the empty corridor, covering his ears. He couldn't take much more of this guilt. It was overwhelming. Every waking second, every passing moment, Loki was in his thoughts. He needed to bring Loki home. He needed his son _home…_

* * *

Loki ducked in through the back door of the palace kitchen and grabbed a little hot cake sitting upon a tray, obviously freshly baked for the Æsir guests. Loki snickered as he realised that they were a mix between the Jötun sour pie and the Æsir sjokolade spice biscuit and taking a bite Loki headed up the spiral stairway and started making his way to his room.

He'd needed time alone, to think. He still wasn't sure if Thor being here was what he wanted, but in his heart it tickled him to know that his family… his _Æsir _family still wanted him. He wasn't hopeful enough to believe that they actually loved him, but he could at least believe they cared... even if it was only a little.

By the time he'd rounded the hallway to his room, the little hot cake was finished and Loki was licking his fingers of the sugar left behind. Before he could even look up, a voice had shrieked out his name.

"LOKI!"

Startled, he lifted his head with a jerk and was surprised to see Frigga running towards him as his _mother_ – Hlín – stood beside his bedroom door with a fading crease of worry.

"Oh Loki, thank god you're back. I thought you wouldn't make it in time… where… where's Thor?" Frigga gripped his hands and it briefly crossed his mind that he'd missed the sensation of her comforting.

"Huh? What does that mean? What do you mean where's Thor? Did he not return here hours ago?" Loki removed his hands from hers as his forehead formed into a frown of concern.

Frigga's face immediately paled. "But, the snow storm…" she took a step back as she shook her head uncomprehendingly. "Loki… Y-your brother… he is still out there."

Hlín unexpectedly took a step forward as she moved to comfort both her son and the woman who'd raised him. "Loki, if Thor is caught in the snow storm… he… he could die out there."

* * *

**_Ya, it's me :) I promised more regular updates didn't I? Even though they're shorter... I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review if you can, thanks :D_**

**_Much Love,  
Soulhearts_**


	9. The Prophecy of Ragnarök

_Chapter Nine/ Kapittel Ni:_

The blizzard pounded mercilessly at his face and he had no idea where he was or which direction he was heading. He could barely see a foot in front of him and the wind tore at every spare scrap of clothing he wore. Thor was hopelessly lost. The cold was biting and he'd already been shivering for longer than he could remember.

"Loki!?" He roared out into the empty space, his voice breaking as he choked back tears that hotly streamed down his face leaving a burning sensation down his freezing cheeks. Loki was still nowhere to be found. Neither of them was likely to survive this and Thor's thoughts turned dark as he continued, stumbling forward even as he was brutally battered by the winds. This wasn't how it was supposed to end for him… for _either of them._ Thor always thought his death would be brought about by either battle or old age. Sif would laugh when she discovered that he'd merely _frozen _to death! What a stupid way to die, any warrior would have known better than to follow someone outside into a blizzard. Hel, a small child would have known it was a stupid thing to do! Mind, Thor had never been the one to plan things out. That responsibility had always fallen to Loki…

"Loki!" He yelled again, still stumbling backwards and forwards as he fought against the winds. It was no use. He wasn't getting anywhere!

It was then that Thor suddenly noticed a flickering light up ahead. Surprised but still hopeful, Thor pushed against the ferocious winds once more and slowly, through the snowstorm, he could eventually make out a small cottage in the distance. As fast as the winds would allow, Thor hurried over to the structure and rapidly hammered on the door with his fist as loud as he could. It wasn't long before the creaky door swung open and he was dragged quickly inside by a wrinkly, old hand.

The door was slammed shut and Thor spun around, coming face to face with an old, blue, bearded, angry looking man.

"What in the name of the icy queen Ymir were you doin' out there!" The Jötun – or at least that's what Thor assumed he was – rounded on him, clearly irritated.

"I was looking for my brother!" Thor exclaimed, already disliking this bearded, blue man who looked like he wanted to rap Thor around the head with a stick. With the way he was shooting glances at a wooden cane in the corner, Thor wasn't sure that the man _wouldn't _beat him with a stick.

"In a _snow storm?!_ By the damnable gods, I've heard the Æsir don't use their heads but surely you must take the cake. Always causin' trouble you Æsir, especially that King of yours… ah… what's 'is name… _Odin?_ Startin' wars with people, cuttin' 'em down like they're that grass you're so fond of."

The old man slowly hobbled away from Thor and made his way over to a comfortable, wolf-skin armchair by the hearth which was raging with a blue and purple fire that cast an odd, creepy shadow throughout the small, one-room cottage. Thor decided to follow the man and he settled himself in the chair opposite.

"You're right. It was a stupid idea to look for him in a snow storm." Thor admitted quietly as he felt the chill being taken from his bones by the warmth of the fire. "But he's probably still out there… and he _needs my help._"

The old man snorted and rose to throw some more wood onto the fire.

"Ya, it was dumb. Don't you worry though, your little brother will be fine, he's a Jötun – their kind is built for this kinda weather."

"Their kind?" Thor almost squeaked with surprise. "Don't you mean, _your _kind?"

The old man's face fell flat and he looked at Thor as though he was an idiot. Rolling his eyes, he then plastered a dull expression onto his face. "Are all Æsir this stupid or is it just you?"

Thor instantly became defensive again. He could bash through a boulder and bring down an entire army with Mjölnir alone, but he wasn't quick with a quip and revelations didn't come easy to him. These were things he lacked but Loki easily understood; it was probably why they were such a great team together…

The old man sighed and shifted his weight with a groan, snapping Thor out of his thoughts about his missing brother.

"Listen," the old man grunted. "Do you really think I would have just let you in here were I a Jötun? If even I can recognise you, then how many Jötun do you think know your face – especially after you and your group of brats came and attacked the castle and King of Jötunheimr? If I were a Jötun, I would have left you out there for dead. Fortunately for you, I am not one of those frost _things—"_

"—then _why _do you have blue skin?" Thor inquired suspiciously, tapping his forefinger on the arm of his chair.

"Really…?" The old man replied, looking completely dumbfounded. "If your brother could live on Ásgard for so many years – a Jötun in the midst of its natural enemy – how do you think I remain here on Jötunheimr?"

"You… you have seiðr, like my brother?" Thor asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. The old man suddenly cackled but the laughter made Thor uneasy. There was something distinctly off about this man, but Thor could not seem to place what it was.

"Oh my dear Æsir, no one has seiðr like your brother. Even your King knew that. It was evident for all to see as soon as the child was born. Why do you think he was taken from this icy realm? He was the only prophecy that had been foretold by every seer in your realm and this one."

"What…?" Thor was astounded, too confused and stupefied to fully comprehend everything this old man was imparting to him. "Loki was… taken because… he was…?"

The old man, seeing the look upon Thor's face and sensing his utter speechlessness cackled again and it was even scarier than the first time.

"My dear boy," he growled with evil mirth in his eyes. "Did you think your father picked up Loki out of the kindness of his heart? You truly are a stupid child. That Jötun child will bring about Ragnarök. Nothing you do or say can stop the end of these realms."

"Ragnarök… no… not Loki. You speak filthy lies and poison seeps from your words!" Thor cried out angrily, jumping from his chair into a standing position. "Besides, Ragnarök is just a myth, something to keep young children at bay when they become too unruly.

"_Heimdall shall raise the Gjallarhorn into the air as Odin converses with __Mím's severed head. The world tree Yggdrasil shall shudder and groan and the __Jötun Laufey __Þrymrjarson will come from the east, his shield raised before him and an army shall follow. The Midgard serpent shall writhe furiously, the eagle will shriek, pale-beaked as he tears at the corpses of the fallen. The fire__jötnar__inhabitants of__Muspelheim__ will __come forth and the völva continues that__Jötunheimr__, the land of the Jötnar, is aroar, and that the Æsir are in council. The__dwarves__groan by their stone doors. __Surtr__advances from the south, his sword brighter than the sun. Rocky cliffs open and the jötnar women sink. People walk the road to Hel and the heavens split apart. All this shall be brought about by the stolen son of whom will be raised by the side that will, inevitably, win."_

Thor stood silent, his mouth agape as he listen to the fierce telling of the story about Ragnarök – the end of the worlds. Never before had he thought it would actually come true. He'd never before thought that the beginning of the end would start with his own little brother… He never would have thought Loki capable of even harming a fly.

Finally, his brain seemed to reengage and he managed to utter out a few, broken words. "S… so why… why did my father take Loki from here… if he was only going to bring about… the end of all realms…?"

"_You fool!_" The old man barked, snapping Thor to attention. "Do you not listen? '_All this shall be brought about by the stolen son of whom will be raised by the side that will, inevitably, win_.' Your father is not one for losing, neither are you. He fathomed that if he took Loki from this place and raised him as his own, the weapon that Loki is and always has been will be his and Ásgard will be saved from the destruction of Ragnarök."

Thor stood silent and held his breath. This couldn't be true. He would find a way to stop this. He would find a way to stop _all _of this. He would save Ásgard from Ragnarök, he would save Jötunheimr from Ragnarök, but most of all, he would save Loki from himself.

* * *

**_Sorry it's been so long TT_TT __I am an awful person..._**

However, moving on. I hope you can forgive me for taking so long. The only real excuse I have is/was exams which I finished about a week or so ago. If you can forgive me and you liked this chapter, please leave me a review if you can. Okay, and thank you :)

Much Love,  
Soulhearts


	10. The Simple Source of Love

_Chapter Ten/ Kapittel Ti:_

A stressed Loki paced back and forth in front of the blazing fire that burned brightly in the hearth. Upon learning Thor's fate since he returned to the palace, Loki's skin had automatically changed to its Æsir colouring. The Jötun man didn't dwell on it but he assumed it was because of his distressed state. As he paced, his inky midnight hair fell forward around his shoulders and he anxiously bit his fingernails. Frigga sat motionless in the wooden rocking chair beside the fire, concerned beyond belief and Hlín sat on the green and blue quilt which covered Loki's bed, almost as tense as the other queen in the room.

"That's it," Loki suddenly declared, unable to patiently wait any longer. "I'm going out after him, that stupid oaf is going to get himself killed!"

Frigga felt a tiny smile pull at her lips at Loki's words – his words and his worry showed that, no matter how much Loki denied their relationship, he still loved his older brother. It gave Frigga cause to hope that perhaps Loki would one day accept them all again; perhaps he would even call her 'mother' again one day. She didn't dare hope that he would forgive them – least of all her husband, Odin – but maybe he would at least accept them again one day. However, the hope she felt was quickly snatched away again when she recalled her other son.

"Loki, you cannot!" Hlín jumped up as her youngest son started towards the entrance of his chambers. Hurrying over to him, she grabbed his wrist and he spun around furiously before she put a hand on his chest. "You following after your brother will only get you both killed."

Looking up into her son's eyes, Hlín conveyed her strain. "Please Loki, what good would it do…? What if you do not find him in time?"

Loki softened and removing her hands from his wrist and chest, he took them in his own. "Mother… this is something I have to do…"

Hlín shook her head frantically but Loki silenced any of her protests. "Please Mother, you may not understand but…" Loki took a moment and spared a glance towards Frigga. "He's my brother... he's my _family_."

"And you're my _son!" _Hlín countered imploringly. "You're my son and I only just got you back. I… I cannot _bear _to lose you again Loki. You don't know what it _feels _like… to have your son ripped from your arms so that you can fight a war you know you will not win. To have to hide your children, for if you don't they will all be slain. Loki, I will never forgive you if you die this way!"

Loki smiled softly, happy that his mother whom had only known him less than six months cared so deeply for him already. He'd spent his entire life trying to please the man he'd once called father and Loki wasn't sure if Odin even cared half as much about him as Hlín already did.

"I won't die out there mother. I promise I will return to you." He gave her hands a little squeeze and he looked into her deep red iris's which held only worry. With a trembling lip and a twitch of her hands, Hlín reluctantly let go, but not before planting a kiss atop Loki's forehead.

"Come back to me, my son."

Loki gave a swift nod before turning on his heel, snatching his Fenir wolf coat from where it hung on his coat rack.

"Loki!" An unexpected shout came from behind him. He turned around once more and was suddenly assaulted by Frigga's hair.

The blonde Æsir woman had her arms around his neck and she'd buried his face in his neck. She was hugging him tightly, holding him like a mother would her child and Loki found himself unintentionally returning her embrace – holding and being held by his mother was something he could never refuse. Something wet suddenly landed on his shoulder and he quickly realised that she was crying.

"Fri –"

"Bring him home, please." She whispered almost inaudibly in his ear. "Loki, please return Thor to me."

Loki gave a little nod, his heart suddenly constricting in his chest at Frigga's words. "I will mother." He answered, dashing out the door before realising his mistake.

After the wooden doors slammed behind Loki, there was a different kind of stale atmosphere in the room. Both women chose to take up seats close to the fire, but it was Frigga who spoke first.

"I'm sorry," She apologised as she stared into the flickering flames of the fire, surprising Hlín with her words. "He is your son… I – I should not have… I should not have spoken to him as if he were mine."

Hlín turned her gaze to the blazing heat that caused her to feel as if the room was on fire.

"It is alright," the Jötun assured. "I understand entirely."

"You are not angry at me?" Frigga lifted her eyes and fixed her gaze upon the woman across from her. In all honesty, Frigga could not see this woman being engaged in a mighty battle upon the snowy fields of Jötunheimr. Her figure was petite and the Æsir queen finally understood where Loki's fragile physical condition came from – Hlín looked as though she would be snapped like a twig during a battle. However, Frigga knew how cunning Loki was and how quick with a blade he could be and she wondered if this woman's talents lay in a similar area.

"I am not angry at you Queen Frigga." Hlín replied softly, watching as the flames licked the grate of the fireplace. "After all, it was your husband, not you, that stole my Loki-child from me."

Frigga felt her gut twist as she watched the pain spill out across the woman's face. However, before Frigga could apologise or make any other movement, Hlín's words stayed her.

"Thank you for looking after my Loki-child," Hlín murmured, a twitch of a soft smile playing at her lips. "He has grown into a fine young man and he obviously trusts you far more so than me. You raised him to be a gentle soul and a kind spirit and I must thank you indeed for this. I am most grateful that he did not know a life of slavery or spite. To think that he was once a prince of Ásgard, well… I'd hardly believe it knowing what animosity there is between our two peoples."

Frigga's mouth was left agape at the words confessed to her by the queen of the Jötun people. She was amazed at how _forgiving _she was towards her enemy. She'd _thanked_ Frigga for raising Loki to be the man he was.

"Honestly," Frigga chuckled softly as something dawned upon her. "I now know where Loki get's his heart from. I've never known a more innocent child than him – though it has been hardened over the years. You are truly a remarkable woman Queen Hlín, I am grateful that we have met."

Hlín looked up at Frigga, seeming startled for a moment before regaining her composure.

"I too am glad we met Queen Frigga. Perhaps…. this may even lead to the beginning of new relations between our two peoples."

Frigga grasped the woman's hand and replied without a trace of hesitation.

"I dearly hope so."

* * *

"_Take him! Take the child!" Bestla cried, pushing the blue baby into the hands of its confused father._

"_How can I take him? I have no wife – how would I explain this child to my people? I am a prince Bestla, or did you forget this fact!?" __Þrymr tried to push the child back into the arms of his mother, but was rewarded with little success._

"_SHUT UP!" Bestla silenced the man as she once again hustled her precious bundle into __Þrymr's arms. "I don't think you quite realise what will happen if he returns to __Ásgard with me – __Börr will kill him __Þrymr! He will kill this infant, and this is your _son!_"_

_Þrymr carefully cradled the child to his chest and rocked him gently, attempting to calm the babe as it was becoming distressed._

"_You have no wife and no children, but you _do _have an heir. I don't care how you explain this to your people, I simply care for my baby's life!" She yelled angrily, tears pouring down her face as her stress started to show._

_How had things ended up like this for her? She had never foreseen this in her future when she'd married the future king of __Ásgard, she'd known then that it was her duty to play her role. All she needed to do was play her part – she was supposed to be the peace between the two peoples, but all it seemed now, was that she had become the wedge._

"_I… I will take him." __Þrymr finally answered, looking down at the sleepy boy he held. "If everything is as you say, I will take him, my love."_

_Bestla released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding and then sighed with relief._

"_Thank you, Þrymr. I am so sorry for everything."_

_Þrymr nodded and slowly his lips parted, a growing expression of sorrow spreading across his face. "This… this will be the last time I ever see you, won't it?"_

_Bestla clenched her jaw, guiltily looking down at the snow beneath her feet. "Yes," she whispered. "This… is the last time we shall meet."_

_Þrymr grabbed her with his one free arm and pulled her to his chest. "Then, let us three stay here for a moment. It will be the last time that our family will ever be completely whole."_

_Bestla held onto her lover and she slowly began to weep as the realisation that her tiny newborn family was soon to be ripped away from her forever._

"_Please Bestla, do not cry." Þrymr wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "I promise I will look after our child, he will know nothing but happiness and he will know his mother to be a brave warrior who died valiantly upon the battle field."_

"_No!" Bestla protested almost violently, shaking her head in denial. "I do not want my son to remember me as a warrior. I do not want him to lust after blood – there has been too much spilt between our peoples before."_

_Þrymr held her tightly and planted a soft kiss to her lips. "Then, how do you wish it to be, my beloved?"_

_Bestla thought for a moment and rested her head against Þrymr's shoulder. Eventually she spoke once again._

"_I want him to believe I died of a simple illness. That is all. I want him to take care of himself as he grows up and I never want him to think of war as something men must go into in order to prove themselves. I want him to know that no one would think him a coward if he were to arrange peace between __Æsir_ _and_ _Jötun – if I cannot bring peace to our lands then let this be something for him to aspire to."_

_Þrymr nodded silently and after three minutes of silence he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, that is right. We must name our child Bestla. What shall we call our beautiful boy?"_

_The two parents thought together, but it was Þrymr who first came up with a suitable name._

"_How about… Laufey?" He asked his lover who was still held in his arms._

"_L – Laufey…" she whispered the name before eventually, a small smile spread across her face and quickly morphed into a grin. "It's lovely… do you know what it means Þrymr?"_

_The __Jötun prince shook his head, not knowing that the name had had a meaning at all._

"_It's perfect. It means 'sensitive idealistic one'," she enlightened him before looking down at the child cradled in his arms. "…my perfect little Laufey…"_

* * *

**Hi... _Sorrrrryyyyyyyy._**Should we all just accept now that these updates are probably going to come... whenever? Well, at least I'm still pushing them out there and I absolutely 100% promise never to leave you hanging for a year (unlike some authors I know). Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and please leave a review - they do actually help me publish these faster you know. Reviews = motivation = writing = more chapters! Sorry, I'm being pushy again... I love you guys though and thanks for reading!

Much Love,  
Soulhearts


	11. The Icy King & A King Made of Ice

_Chapter Eleven/ Kapittel Elleve:_

"Stupid, stupid, _stupid!_" Loki chanted, scowling and covering himself with a black and blue cloak over his wolf furs as he exited the palace via the kitchen door which led out into the inner ward of the castle. "Where are you Thor? Where did you run off to, you big, stupid oaf!"

A few guards shot him curious looks and nodded their heads as Prince Loki passed them by, but the young Jötun was too preoccupied to focus on anything other than concern for his older brother. Loki removed his Æsir glamour, causing a shudder to run down his spine, and he mentally prepared himself to battle against the brutal blizzard winds of his homeland which were already battering the outer bailey and the icy barbican. The youngest Laufeyjarson also attempted to brace himself against the worry and anxiety which were attacking him in full force as he trod forwardly into the night.

"Why must you be so candidly righteous?" the prince muttered heatedly as he crossed beyond the portcullis. "Why did you have to come after me like the noble, self-sacrificing _fool _you are!"

Yet, it didn't matter how much he tried to blame Thor for getting himself into his current predicament, Loki was always confronted with the pang of guilt and the knowledge that in all honesty, this was _his_ fault.

Loki steeled himself as a huge gust of wind whipped at him, causing him stumble back five paces. _He'd get his older brother back to the palace safe and sound_ – it wouldn't matter if the effort killed him, he would find a way. Frigga only had one child now, whereas Hlín currently had five. Hlín didn't need five children, she'd been doing just fine with four…

Loki paused for a moment, the world swirling around him in a black and white haze. _No, he couldn't think like this._ He'd promised them he'd return, alive and well. _That is what he would do_.

* * *

Even in his agitated state, Thor Odinson took in the elegant and pulchritudinous view as he strode briskly towards the glacial Jötnar palace that stood proudly and solidly; apparently unmoved from the preceding night's brutal storm. Even though Thor was still a ways away, he could see tall banks of snow surrounding the castle's stockade and the groundskeepers that were presently clearing the fallen flurry. The palace was almost as tall as the one on Ásgard, and it some ways, it was _more _beautiful; with its icy keep and almost transparent barbican. Thor noted that when the sun hit the palace at certain angles, the ice shone and highlighted the frozen water with incredible rainbows. While some sections were made purely of ice, most were made of grey stone and occasionally the prince spied dark wood in the castle's inner parts – such as the stables and the entrance way to the kitchens.

The icy structure was indeed magnificent but it held little interest for him at present; he would not be calm until he knew his broken brother was safe again. The blonde god rubbed his uneasy stomach, churning from the distress he held for Loki's safety. It was like a black pit had opened inside his gut and nothing would fill the dark void until he knew of Loki's condition and whereabouts. He had not managed to find the younger prince in the previous night and his foreboding distress had since, only escalated.

Thor trudged through the bitterly cold, but beautiful frozen snow until he reached the front of the outer gate.

"Prince Thor of Ásgard?"

A simple guard adorned in wolf fur and blue fabrics approached him, speaking slowly so Thor could understand. When Thor nodded towards the guard, the Jötun muttered some words in his mother-tongue and gestured for the Æsir prince to follow him. The blonde warrior sighed, knowing that things would be so much easier if he spoke the natural tongue of the Jötun people, or even if they were still included in the Allspeak. However, as it was, they were not and yet they were still trying to be as accommodating as possible – even though Thor knew with every ounce of his being that they would far prefer to slay him where he stood.

The Æsir prince was led to the entranceway and the guards dutifully opened the huge wooden doors for him. Thor thanked the men as best he could and stepped inside, hoping with all his being that Loki was returned, safe once again. However, what he was confronted with was decidedly worse than what he'd previously been expecting.

"Thor?!"

A trill of a voice rose above the noisy confusion and soft footsteps clacked against the ice and marble floor as the person hurried over to meet him.

"Mother…?"

Frigga quickly embraced her son and Thor hugged her back, understanding that he had caused her great stress since yesterday afternoon. He probably shouldn't have bolted after Loki, it had been a stupid thing to do and to make things worse, his mother had obviously been worrying about him.

"Oh thank the Norns you're okay, I was so anxious for you!"

"I am alright mother, but I did not find him." He shook his head sadly and for a brief moment he closed his eyes. "Where is Loki, did he return here?" Thor looked up again and bit his lip, hoping desperately that Frigga could relieve his concern.

"He… he did return…" Frigga began hesitantly, flicking her glances between Thor and the oldest Jötun woman in the room – the queen of Jötunheimr. "But… he went out after you." Thor felt his stomach sink like a stone in a river, but he had almost no time to comprehend what this meant.

"_YOU_!" A voice screamed from across the hall.

Someone strode angrily into the entrance hall and a loud voice echoed across the room, causing Thor to look up and see a furious, male frost giant stride toward him. In a matter of seconds the member of the Jötun royalty had crossed the room, gripped Thor's shirt and slammed him into the solid stone wall of the castle.

"THIS IS ALL _YOUR _FAULT!" The tall, angry Jötun warrior screamed at him in Thor's own mother-tongue, completely enraged. "We never should have let this _filth _into our kingdom!"

"_Helblindi_!" Cried a young female Jötun standing only meters away. "You cannot disrespect our guests this way!" She continued, her Æsir accent much thicker than the male's.

"Why not!?" Helblindi snapped back. "This _ogre_ is the reason that Loki ran off in the first place; Father miscalculated – Loki doesn't _want _to be reminded of his past. We all know he was having nightmares, now it's clear that they were of these two _monsters _and their kind!"

Frigga stifled a dry sob behind her fist and Thor gripped the icy hand that still clung to his shirt with resounding fury. The words that fell from the mouth of this frost giant made Thor worry – were these words possibly true? Was _he _the reason that Loki suffered so? Surely not! Loki and he had always been close… or, had that simply been his imagination?

"_Silence yourself __Helblindi!" _

Another deeper Jötun voice suddenly spoke and Thor looked up from the fist on his shirt.

"Release the Æsir prince, Helblindi_._ Do not think of yourself and _your _anger in this circumstance – there are much bigger problems and larger things at stake here: namely, Loki's life."

The Jötun – King Laufey – looked almost as majestic as Odin did when walking the halls of the palace of Ásgard, but his expression was far more serious. The male named Helblindi released Thor with an angry huff and then took a few paces back, deciding to stand with his mother and his sister.

"I'm sorry all this has happened," the King continued as he advanced towards Thor and Frigga, stopping only a few strides away. "I did not expect Loki to react this way… I thought he would be… comforted to see someone familiar."

Thor hung his head. Laufey surely spoke the truth – Thor too had seen how Loki reacted to their presence. Loki must truly hate them, otherwise he would not have reacted so violently.

"But it matters not at this current time." Laufey said slowly, his eyes fixed on Thor and his expression somewhere between strongly determined and pleading. Thor turned his gaze back upon the King and was startled to see the man looking at him so. The face he wore was so similar to Loki's that it made Thor's heart thump with a multitude of emotions. Anger, sorrow, longing… he just wished that Loki would once again turn his gaze upon Thor and think of him as brother again. All he wanted was for his family to be whole again. He never once thought of Loki as his enemy, even when Loki's origins were revealed to him.

"Prince Thor, perhaps you would be able to assist?"

Thor's brow furrowed as he processed Laufey's question.

"You… You want me to help with the search effort?" He asked, still bewildered by the question.

"That is what I was thinking, yes." Laufey replied solemnly. "It is my understanding that you still consider my son your brother so –"

"_YES_! By all the gods, I want to find Loki just as much as you do. He is still my little brother, even if it is not by blood. Nothing would sever the love I feel for him; he is my kin and we were raised together! He knows me. I know he must feel betrayed – if I were in his position, I would feel the same way – but I cannot leave him for he is my _brother_. I would never allow him to die out there foolishly searching for me."

"Prince Thor," a voice to the left of Helblindi suddenly spoke up and when Thor looked, he realised it was the Queen of the frost giants – Hlín. "I am glad you feel such a strong love for my Loki-child. Loki he… he has brothers here, a sister too, but never I think, has he forgotten you. I am almost sure that he feels the same way you do."

Thor nodded towards the queen, silently thanking her for her words. She could not know how much they meant to him.

"He confessed to me last night that you are still his brother. He said you were still… _family._"

Thor bit his lip, willing himself not to cry in front of these people or his mother. Oh poor Loki. Father had taken him, cast him out from Ásgard and disposed of him on this icy planet from where he'd been stolen. And though Loki had finally met his biological family, he still longed for the one he was raised in. Thor knew his family wasn't perfect, but they could function again, of that he was sure.

* * *

"Eir, you know this must stay secret, yes?" Odin spoke softly in Heimdall's hall upon the Bifröst bridge.

The king had already made Heimdall swear that he would not speak of what had happened here and now Eir had been brought in to tend the injured man who lay before her.

"My King, are you sure this is the right way? He will not remember… is this what you truly desire?"

"Silence yourself Eir, your worries have been mine for many days already. I have made my decision. This is best for everyone. Frigga and Thor will understand, and Loki will too in time. But we – no, I – will explain it to him in my own way."

"Wasn't this child supposed to be the key to the peace treaty, my King?" Asked Heimdall who spoke up and stared at the unconscious Loki whom had not moved and whose skin was a rich blue with intricate lines showing upon his skin of his linage and his family. "Have you not forfeited it by returning him here? Ásgard is not safe from attack with Loki here."

"I know!" Odin snapped, "Don't you think I know these things already!? But Loki must be returned here… Jötunheimr is no place for a weapon like this."

"A weapon?" Eir and Heimdall chanted in unison.

Aye, it was true. Though Odin knew his reason to Eir and Heimdall was a lie. While Loki could become a weapon of great power and destruction if Odin deemed it so, the king also understood that inside, there was a loving, tending and caring boy underneath his impenetrable skin. While Odin knew of the Ragnarök myth, he also knew that he needed his family together again. They were his pillars – his three pillars of strength – and when one was missing, they all soon crumbled.

Besides, there was a reason the myth of Ragnarök had been born and only Odin knew the truth, for it had been he to spread the rumor and brew the lies. When the time came and Loki was well again, Odin would tell his child. He would tell him everything and he would make sure Loki understood _his _side of the story.

* * *

**Hello again everybody,  
**I have returned here with an update because I promised one reviewer that I would get one published the day after Christmas! Ta-dah! I kept my promise! However, I am going away camping and therefore I will be unable to update this story for at least two weeks :( (sorry). I'll try my hardest to present to you more chapters when I return (I've definitely found my groove again with this story and so I'm fired up!). Also please don't judge too fiercely as I have not checked or edited this chapter. See you again soon!

Much Love,  
Soulhearts


	12. Dreams You Never Did Have (Part One)

Slowly opening his innocent green eyes, Loki blinked twice and took in the familiar sight of his chambers. Everything in his vision was either a deep emerald colour, black or a darkened wood. He blinked again, this time at the sensation welling up in his insides. _Oh, gods! _He thought, rolling to his side and chucking up the contents of his stomach.

"Oh, oh! Easy there…" A familiar voice soothed, a hand pushing back his sweat-drenched locks.

Loki looked up from the bucket he'd somehow, almost magically managed to throw up into and stared into a face with a kind, familiar eyes.

"Eir…" He sighed as she met his eyes with a small smile. "How… long have I…?"

"You've been asleep for two days my young prince. You fell ill and have had a fever for quite some time. It only broke about three hours ago."

Loki groaned and moved a palm up to his forehead which was throbbing with atrocious pain. He massaged it for a moment, his face screwed up as he tried to think past the head-splitting agony. "My head hurts…" he complained in a mumble.

Eir simply gave him a look of pity and pushed him back onto the dark green pillows adorning his stately bed. "It will pass." She promised him softly.

The prince closed his eyes, mumbling something incomprehensible before slipping back into an uncomfortable slumber and completely missing the sound of the doors creaking open. Two boots clacked against the onyx coloured floor as they made their way over to Loki's bedside.

"How is he?" King Odin asked the healer as he pulled up the dark walnut chair from Loki's study desk and sat down.

Eir sighed resignedly as she put the wooden bucket containing Loki's spew to her far left.

"I will be perfectly honest with you, majesty…" She said, returning to her straight-backed posture. "I still do not believe removing his memories was a wise decision."

Odin's mouth remained clamped shut. He too had known it was risky to mess with Loki's head like this and was glad that Eir had refused to implant false memories. Now that he could see what simply removing them had done to his son, he was thankful that the healer was very stubborn, even to the whims of her king.

When Odin did not interrupt her, Eir continued. "He has awoken three times already and remembers none of it. The real question is when he will start to remember the present again: his mind is still trying to heal the connections that have been destroyed. His long term memory is unaffected, as I assumed it would be, but his short term memory is…"

Eir left her sentence hanging. Odin knew exactly what she meant and grimly he peered down at Loki's face, smoothing a hand across his son's forehead as he did so. Resting his palm there and rubbing his thumb over Loki's head, the king thought upon another question.

"Will he remember Jötunheimr…?" Odin muttered, his jaw clenched tightly in anticipation.

The Norns only knew what the beastly Jötnar had put him through before Thor and Frigga had arrived. Even Odin had been surprised at the invitation from the ice realm. It simply proved that Loki's magic had been too powerful for them to handle – Laufey was such a stupid king, he probably didn't even realise how much potential his son had. Odin at least knew to put a seal around the unpredictable, emotion-controlled seiðr that Loki had started developing as a child. Every time the king saw his son lose control of his emotions, he sensed the stretching of the seal and was reminded of just how powerful the young man was. Loki could rule. Odin knew this. But none would stand behind him as they did Thor, and Odin was thankful that Loki showed no desire to rule Ásgard; he seemed content to accept his future as Thor's leading adviser. At least, those had been Loki's ambitions before Laufey had learned of his son's continued existence and Odin had had to bargain his son over a weapon that Laufey _knew_ how to use. Odin had no doubt in his mind that if Laufey knew just how powerful Loki was, he would show no hesitation in using him as a war weapon against Ásgard, but fortunately it seemed that Laufey had not yet learned the truth.

"… I cannot say for sure…" Eir replied after a long pause. "However, it seems exceedingly unlikely. I tried to take a whole year from his life, but I may have taken more or I may have taken less. At this point I do not know for certain. You wished for Loki to have his memories of being Jötun removed and therefore, I had to take at least six months from his life. However, I wasn't completely sure when he learned of his true nature and thus it was simply easier to take a whole year."

Odin removed his hand from Loki's forehead and swallowed back his guilt. This is what he had ordered her to do and she had done it. What Loki did not remember would be for the best.

"Good," the king replied, standing. "I shall expect an update on his condition in another six hours."

Eir nodded and Odin, pushing down his shame and culpability, marched dutifully from Loki's chambers and tried to remind himself that there would be nothing for Loki to forgive him for if he did not remember what Odin had done in the first place. It did seem a crime to take the memories of his beloved son, but he would tell Loki of his true heritage eventually, when the time was right.

* * *

**Heyyy... **Sorry for the absence and the short chapter. I PROMISE to update again within the next week (before or on the 17/10/2015). I've decided to put ALL my other stories on hold until I get up to where I want to be with this one. :) I hope to be back very soon!

Much Love,  
Soulhearts


	13. Dreams You Never Did Have (Part Two)

_Chapter Thirteen/Kapittel Tretten:_

Groggily staring out the window from his seated place under the covers of his emerald-canopy bed, the youngest Odinson sighed and blinked as he attempted to rid himself of the awful stomach-ache and headache he'd awoken with. Vaguely he recalled Eir telling him that he had fallen ill several days ago and had been afflicted with fever and now, apparently, nausea as well. He remembered the kind healer holding out a bucket for him as he threw up bile and the contents of his insides and he also recalled the woman telling him it would pass.

"Well, that hasn't happen yet…" Loki mumbled under his breath as he clutched at his throbbing head. Everything still seemed surreal. As though he'd lived through a very vivid dream but had forgotten what the dream was actually about.

Suddenly deciding that he was sick of being in bed, the young Odinson slowly peeled back the covers and swung his legs over the side. Upon standing, he carefully made his way over to the gold and glass doors to his balcony and then proceeded to push them open. A gust of mild wind hit him and for a brief second he felt refreshed and his nausea lessened, but this only lasted a moment before he was on his knees, desperately trying to keep from keeling over again.

When the sensation did pass he sat up and leaned against the doorframe, casually staring down at the smaller of the two training pits which were located in the central part of the palace and absentmindedly wondering where Thor was at the present time.

Loki thought it was surprisingly unusual for Thor not to burst into his chambers and attempt to nurse him back to health. But, after a moment of pondering, he realised that Thor was probably getting close to the end of his 'brotherly-caring' tether. Loki let out a little huff and bitterly wished he could be like Thor. His older brother was probably out right now with his friends in a town pub, speaking of their great victories and latest quests. Loki had not been on any quests recently and all the credit for _his_ great victories seemed to go to someone else, be it Thor or Sif or one of the warriors three. One day, Thor would simply decide that Loki was useless on quests and just stop inviting him. It was an inevitable truth, but one Loki had hoped would come later rather than sooner. He didn't particularly _enjoy_ going on quests, but every time Thor invited him he remembered that he _did _actually have someone who cared enough to at least invite him to join. He had no friends of his own, but it didn't really matter. Thor was his best friend – he didn't need anyone who wasn't genuine – and Thor was nothing _but _genuine.

Loki's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his entranceway. Turning, Loki's eyebrow's shot up in surprise as he discovered that the one entering his chambers was actually his father.

"Loki," Odin seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief as he saw his son awake and upright. Striding towards him the King gave a little smile and upon reaching him he pulled up Loki's study chair and sat down. "How are you feeling, my son?"

Loki recovered from his shock and smiled back at his father – something which secretly thrilled the old man as Loki hadn't smiled at him in over a year.

"I'm… better." He said quietly, turning his gaze out upon the city of Ásgard. Loki's loose robes fluttered a little in the wind and Odin almost smiled again as he looked down upon the son that had previously learned to hate him.

"That is good. I am happy you are feeling stronger." The King replied somewhat awkwardly. The distance between Loki and he was still significant though. His relationship with his youngest son had started going downhill years before Loki had learned of his heritage and Odin knew this would take more than one night to fix.

Taking a deep breath Odin frowned and fixed his gaze unto the floor. He supposed that he should tell Loki of the things he needed to know, but…

The King looked at the back of Loki's head, his wavy black hair rustling ever-so-slightly in the breeze.

He didn't want to ruin this _again_. He couldn't have Loki hate him again. He just couldn't. Not his son. Not _this _son. This perfectly innocent and whole child which _he'd _been the one to raise – not Laufey. He'd been the one to bring Loki up and give him a normal childhood. Laufey and his wife had simply abandoned Loki in a temple! The child would not have survived the night if he had not intervened. But, _none of that mattered anymore_. What needed to happen now was reconciliation – between Loki and himself. The old king steeled himself and drew a shaky breath.

"Loki," he began, still trying to calm his fidgety nerves. "Do you remember the story I used to tell you about Jötunheimr and its king?"

"You mean the one where you defeated the king of the Jötun in battle and then you took the source of their power from them?" Loki replied, Odin nodding. "Yes, I remember. It used to be one of my favourite tales." The young man chuckled quietly, not noticing Odin's frown deepening.

"Yes," the old man continued. "The last Great War was thusly ended and we returned to Ásgard, the realm eternal and the beacon of hope to all the other realms. It was Ásgard and her warriors that brought peace to this universe."

To Odin it seemed that his voice was trying to justify all that he had done, but Loki simply let out another little laugh and Odin's heart constricted as he swallowed, attempting to keep all his emotions from surfacing.

"I remember when you first told this tale father," Loki returned his gaze to the king and Odin's heart melted at being called father again. Shifting his gaze slightly, directing it to Odin's feet, Loki continued with his reminiscing.

"Thor and I were visiting the treasure chamber for the first time." He smirked, recalling. "Thor was so damn eager to impress and I remember him claiming that he was going to slay all the frost giants, but then you gave him that simple advice: 'a king should never seek out war, but he should always be ready for it.' At that time you said that we could both be kings but only one of us could rule… Honestly, I never did want to rule Ásgard and I was glad when Thor was chosen. Even so, when we were children, I simply remember wanting to impress you…" Loki lowered his voice and moved his gaze yet again. "I just wanted to impress you, as Thor did."

"My son…" Odin said aloud. "My son, you have always impressed me."

Yes, _this _is what he should have said to Loki the first time. The look on Loki's face was one of shock and surprise, but it also contained an unbearable amount of happiness. Loki could be _this _happy? Simply from being praised?

"You're amazing Loki…" he continued as the younger prince sat frozen in absolute astonishment. "I know I do not speak it often enough, but what you can do is incredible. It is true that they say seiðr is a woman's art and it is true that it is not as highly vauled, but I have seen what you can do and I _know_ that your power could be used for _so much… _You could benefit this world Loki. You could help Thor rule."

The king paused and waited as he took in Loki's reaction to his words. The prince frowned for a second before fixing his gaze onto his knees which were pulled up to his chest.

"I… I don't want to rule, father." He stated again plainly.

"I know," Odin interrupted. "However, you have always been an adviser to Thor, haven't you?"

Loki neither agreed nor disagreed, but he looked up at his father again and met his single eye. "You mean, you _approve_ of me becoming Thor's adviser?" He asked, looking completely confused by this notion.

Odin chuckled and smiled down. "Well, we both know that Thor doesn't _always _use his head, don't we?"

At this Loki broke out into a grin and Odin decided to leave his tale for another day. Now, finally, he was getting somewhere with his son and his family would soon be whole again. Eventually, everything would be as he should: Ásgard would remain at peace, Thor would rule out over it with Loki at his side as his counsel and most importantly, the youngest prince of Ásgard would never remember the brief time he spent knowing another family.

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**Wahaha! **_Two updates in two days, how's that! I know it's short again but I hope you can forgive me. When this story is complete I'll probably merge the shorter chapters into one long huge chapter. But, for now they stay this way! I hope you liked this chapter and the speediness with which I presented it to you and if you did, please leave a review :) The reviews I got on the last chapter were simply adorable and it got me fired up to write another chapter :D Thanks for your support and you should all expect another chapter before 17/01/2015. See you before then!_

_Much Love,_  
_Soulhearts_


	14. Dreams You Never Did Have (Part Three)

_Chapter Fourteen/Kapittel Fjorten: _

"Has there been any news?" Loud footsteps which could belong to none other than Prince Thor of Ásgard stormed the ice castle, making a beeline to the throne room before he let out his words, laced with desperation.

All heads turned to him but none answered; they simply sat there with baited breath, desperately hoping that _someone _said something. In the end it was the King who replied.

"Nay, there has been no word..." Laufey solemnly replied, Thor observing that the king looked tired and strained.

Thor was also feeling the stress. Loki had been missing for almost three days now. Everyone around the Ásgard heir was practically pulling their hair out in panic and anxiety. Thor had been out in the snow every day until his body could take no more. His worry lined his face and he had already lost hope that they would find Loki out there alive. All hope, except for that desperate glimmer that would forever continue to hold on like a drop of water hopelessly clinging to a faucet until they _did_ find his little brother.

Out of the crowded midst of the Jötnar, Thor noticed the approach of queen Hlín. As she came closer, the prince noticed the dying streaks of tears that lined her face like two straight roads that led to nowhere. She made no movement to brush them away but instead, gripped Thor's arm and led him away from the crowded but silent room.

The Queen took him down a hallway and then led him through an impressive door. Thor was shocked but unsurprised to find himself amongst hundreds of shelves lined with hundreds of thousands of books. For a moment his breath hitched in his throat as a wave of nostalgia and guilt barraged him like a ship crashing into a rocky shore. He needed to get out of here. He couldn't stop the guilt from lashing at him like a whip to a prisoner. The guilt in knowing that it was over… He hadn't saved his brother.

_Loki was DEAD! And it was all his fault, damn it!_

"Odinson."

Thor's welling tears froze at the sound of his name spoken in a short, crisp manner. He turned to find Queen Hlín still facing the library door which she had closed. She spoke softly, but within her tone he could hear the unsounded wailing of a grieving mother.

"Odinson," she repeated again, still refusing to face him. "I…"

She sucked in a breath of air through her teeth and then, turning to look him directly in the eye she simply let go.

"I have to thank you."

Thor had not been expecting such kind words. He almost would have preferred it if she had yelled at him, swore, told him that this was _his_ fault. After all, Thor couldn't rid himself of the knowledge that if he hadn't shown up here, Loki never would have taken off.

"You… have done everything within your power for him. For my son." She nodded at him and her eyelashes flickered before she cast her gaze to the floor and fixed it there.

"Please," Thor choked out, anguished and trying his hardest not to break down like a child in front of this woman. "Do not thank me. I have done _nothing!_ I… I could do nothing to stop this… I always thought that I had so much power, yet… I could not even save my little brother!"

Hlín nodded and the room fell into quiet like an empty forest drowning in its own silence.

"Then…" Hlín looked up at the Æsir prince. "Then I shall not thank you for coming, but I shall thank you because I know Loki was loved. If not by your father… if not even by your mother… then at least – I know for certain – by you."

Thor looked straight at her and then after a few moments he gave her a curt nod.

"My mother and I shall return to Ásgard on the morrow morn and we shall give your family time alone."

"Yes," Hlín agreed, preparing to open the door again. "We shall let your family – Loki's _true _family – grieve for him in peace."

Thor was astounded by her words, but they seemed to make sense to the queen who was already lost in her abyss of sorrow. She had lost her son twice now, once as a babe and now again as a man. She had lost him to a thief who called himself a king and she had lost him to the fates and although their time had been short together, Thor could see that she so clearly cherished her youngest child.

* * *

"_Ah, my lovely." _

_The rough voice echoed around the room disquietingly as the eyes peered into a silver bowl which watched the conversation between the Prince of __Ásgard and the Queen __Jötunheimr._

"_What a stir that poor Loki-child has made between your two houses. Ah, but if only you knew where he really was… I'm sure you'd like to know, hm?"_

_The creature waved its arm over the bowl of magic water and the image of Thor and __Hlín disappeared without a sound._

"_Hmm, but to get you back my beloved, some trickery must be done and unfortunately, you will be the one who has to pay…" the voice muttered to itself as it bustled around the room._

"_After all, you thought you and your husband thought you could trick me with that useless disguise and that fake name. Do your own children know of your astounding beauty or have you worn that __seiðr guise so long that you have ended up like your Loki-child – unable and unwilling to change back to your original form. For even now as I speak your Loki-child wears his __Æsir disguise and he doesn't even know it!"_

_The disgusting creature rifled through a drawer and began pulling things out as it looked for something old and particular. An object that would help with its quest._

"_Oh but yes, I will have to be quick won't I? Or else the heir of your enemy will return home before I do and that just would not do. But do not fret my beloved __Fárbauti, you will see your true face again and you will hear my voice echo your true name… soon enough."_

* * *

**Hello, **another little snippet for you... but who is this mysterious being that has suddenly been introduced? Only time will tell! :) Hope to see you all again next chapter :)

Much Love,  
Soulhearts


	15. The Memory Keeper (Part One)

_Chapter Fifteen/Kapittel Femten:_

Thor's jaw practically dropped to the ground as he mentally attempted to process what he was seeing. For a moment, the heir of Ásgard began to doubt his sanity – after all, the grief he felt at losing his little brother was parallel to none. However, as Loki stepped forward, a smile across his face and ready to embrace Thor with a short brotherly hug, Thor knew his eyes couldn't be deceiving him.

"Brother!" Loki beamed, pulling the elder into a quick embrace before releasing him. "How fared your hunting trip on Alfheim?"

The eldest of the Odinson's simply stood, frozen in place and beside him, Thor could sense that his mother was also reeling from the incredibility of what was happening.

_So mother did not know either… _Thor thought, casting a cautious, uneasy glance towards the woman beside him before fixing his stare onto his father. _It was him. It was father…_

"Thor?" Loki interrupted his thoughts, the young man quick to realise that something was not alright with his older brother. "Thor, what's wrong? What happened?"

Smoothing out his expression and pasting on a smile, Thor focused solely on the fact that Loki was indeed alive and standing right in front of him. Thor had never been very good at lying or hiding things from Loki, but until he spoke with Father and got to the bottom of what was happening here, he had to maintain whatever farce Odin had created.

"Ah, sorry Loki," Thor clapped his brother on the shoulder boisterously and grinned. "Nothing's wrong at all! In fact, while we were on Alfheim I managed to shoot a woodland buck – the animal was enormous and let me tell you, for a herbivore, that thing was vicious!"

Loki laughed as Thor starting painting the picture – a lie about his time on Alfheim. Loki occasionally popped a question here and there, but in general he didn't interrupt much. Odin, soon realising that the four of them had been standing in the entranceway for more than twenty minutes, suggested that the family head towards the closest sitting room and Loki immediately started to lead the way, happy that Thor had returned.

"But how about you, Loki?" Thor guided the conversation towards his little brother. Thor could wait for his father's answers, but he had to know what had happened to Loki; why it seemed that he remembered nothing of Jötunheimr and his family, why he acted so much younger.

At Thor's question, Loki cast his gaze downwards as though he were scrutinizing the floor that their boots currently walked on.

"I've been ill again."

"You were sick?" Thor's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What illness did befall you, brother?"

Loki looked up at Thor and shook his head. "I don't know, neither does Eir. I became feverous and then apparently I slept for a number of days. When I awoke I had an awful headache and I was sick of the stomach… Eir told me it would pass but I… I feel like there was something extremely important that I was doing before I fell ill, and now, I cannot remember it at all."

Out of the corner of his eye, Thor suddenly saw Frigga shoot Odin a wrathful glare and quickly Thor deduced that she'd worked out what he'd done to Loki.

"I couldn't even remember that you and mother were on Alfheim," Loki continued, throwing his hands up into the air. "I thought you were simply with your friends..." he added, looking back at Thor.

The younger of the Odinson's dropped his voice to a barely more than a whisper.

"I thought you had tired of me, for good. I wondered where you were – you didn't visit me as you always do when I am ailing – and I thought that… that maybe…" Loki let his sentence trail off and placed his gaze anywhere but on Thor.

The older Æsir could clearly see his brother's blushing, heating up in obvious shame. Thor had not ever really realised how much Loki had looked up to him or how much he actually depended on him for emotional support before Thor was summoned to Jötunheimr by its king who sought someone to comfort his lost child. The love that Thor had seen in Laufey's eyes when he looked at his son was almost overwhelming. That was why Thor could not forgive his father. Whatever he'd done to Loki was surely, nothing good.

"I would never abandon you, Loki." Thor comforted in a soft tone that did not reach the ears of their parents walking ahead. The Æsir prince placed a reassuring hand on Loki's shoulder and gave him a small smile.

Loki's eyes suddenly met his and the sparkle of faith and trust Thor found in them almost gave him cause to cry. Had Loki been like this before? Or was Thor only now truly seeing who his brother was.

"I know." Loki stated plainly, once again looking away from his awe-inspiring older brother. But Thor knew that Loki's statement was a lie. It was clear in the younger's voice that he had not known Thor's intent and Thor felt that the reassurances toward his younger brother was finally a start towards building their crumbling relationship again.

"Where are all the guards?" Frigga suddenly inquired up ahead, interrupting Thor and Loki from their own conversation, her voice almost biting towards her husband.

Odin's reply was calm and showed no sign that anything was amiss. "I reduced the staff this week. When they are needed again then I shall bring them back, however Ásgard is under no threat and I saw no need for them."

Thor clenched his fists tightly by his side, a silent rage building. _Saw no need for them, or did not need for them to see… _The heir of Ásgard thought to himself, shooting a secret glance towards his brother. It was true that if there were fewer guards, then less people would know about the youngest prince's return to Ásgard. However, if Laufey _did _find out that his son had _once again _been kidnapped, there would be war for sure this time and with less guards, there were fewer people to protect the palace should it come under any threat. Odin was certainly playing a dangerous game, and he clearly knew it too. The one thing Thor couldn't understand was why the old king would take such a risk. He'd told Loki that the boy was not his son and had handed him over to Laufey without any semblance of regret or emotion. What Odin had done had broken Thor's heart and had cut Loki into pieces. Why would the old king steal back the treasure which he had willingly given away? The logic was incomprehensible.

* * *

**_Hi everyone!_**

**_Short chapter this time (aren't they always these days) but I hope to have another one up in the next couple of days! I hope you enjoy this one and thank you to the guest who prompted me with their review this morning - otherwise this chapter probably wouldn't have gone up today._**

**_Much Love,  
Soulhearts_**


	16. The Memory Keeper (Part Two)

_Chapter Sixteen/Kapittel Seksten: _

"What have you done!?" Frigga yelled, slapping her husband across the face.

Loki had just left, announcing he was tired and was retiring to his room for the night. However, as soon as he was gone, Frigga had lost all control over her emotions and flew into a wild rage.

Odin seemed strangely passive and unmoved considering he'd just been physically attacked by his ordinary passive wife.

"I simply did what needed to be done." The old man replied in an almost _lax _tone of voice. "I did what was best for us – what was best for him."

"Best for him?!" Frigga's voice shot up three octaves and her jaw dropped. She seemed momentarily stunned, but it didn't take her long to regain herself. "_How in the name of __Ásgard could you possibly claim to know what's best for him, Odin Allfather?_"

"BECAUSE I AM HIS FATHER!" Odin suddenly cracked and his rage became almost as ferocious as his wife's.

"That gives you _no right _to wipe his memories!" Frigga yelled in fury, not bothering to correct him. She knew when Loki still had his memories, thatLoki no longer considered Odin his father.

"The boy would never stay here if I had not." Odin rebuffed firmly. "He is young and he has no idea of the truth."

"The truth!?"

Odin and Frigga suddenly whipped their heads around, both of them fixing their gaze upon the man who had just spoken.

Thor stood and went to stand in front of his quarrelling parents, addressing Odin first.

"Father," he started calmly, "you've lied to him for years. How in the name of the Norns could you possibly expect him to believe your "truth"?"

"Don't you dare question me, my son." Odin quickly silenced his eldest who gave a bizarrely calm nod, before returning to his chair in the corner of the room.

Thor was not going to yell or argue irrationally with his parents – he simply wished to know what Odin had done so he could fix it and make things right for Loki and his Jötun family. There never seemed to be any point in arguing with the Allfather anyway. Odin would listen to his council advisers more often than he listened to the advice and even the pleas of his family – Thor had learned this when he'd begged his father not to send Loki to Jötunheimr the first time.

Frigga turned away from Thor, her long, golden ringlets falling gracefully upon her shoulders as she fixed her weary gaze back on her husband.

"I know not why you have done this, Odin. However, Loki cannot stay – he _must _be returned to his family."

"WE ARE HIS FAMILY!" Odin exploded, "Why do the pair of you suddenly seem to forget that?"

"Because we've seen them, we've met them…" Thor replied unexpectedly, looking down at his hands and shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "They are a better family for Loki than we are and I've seen how much they love him."

"As have I…" Frigga agreed with a despairing sigh as she sat back down.

Odin held an almost helpless look in his eye as his two members of family sat defeatedly. Odin shook his head sadly, he was not giving Loki up to those foul creatures – he'd be dead before he saw his son meet with them again, and he voiced this to Thor and Frigga.

"Things cannot stay this way forever, Odin." Frigga sighed, trying softly to convince her husband that this solution wasn't really a solution at all. "Even if we did not return Loki to Jötunheimr, what about him being Jötun? All of Ásgard knows what he is – we cannot keep that a secret from him forever! It wouldn't matter how hard we tried."

Odin, being the only one still standing, sighed and massaged his temple as he paced in front of the fire place.

"I… I know… I just want…" Odin muttered in a tone close to overwhelmed, scratching his head with worry. "I just want our family to be whole again. All four of us."

Thor nearly broke at that. What Odin had voiced he desperately wanted too. He couldn't imagine ruling Ásgard without his little brother by his side. He _needed _Loki. He needed his support. Even when he'd naught had anyone to trust or count on, he could always go to Loki, for his little brother was his secret strength. It didn't matter that Loki was Jötun and if anyone said that it did, then Thor would smite them down with Mjölnir.

And yet… he _knew _that Loki could not stay. He would have to be returned to his real family. He already understood how violated Loki would feel when his memories were returned to him…

"Father," Thor frowned, suddenly realising. "Did you wipe Loki's memories… permanently?"

Odin looked at his eldest son and gave a sharp nod.

"If you think to return his memories to him Thor, it cannot be done. Those memories are gone. All he learned since that time has been erased into the oblivion."

* * *

"_Fárbauti…" The voice echoed throughout the chamber as a hand touched the scrying pool laced with __seiðr. "Our time of reunion is nearly upon us… I will soon see you again, beloved __Fárbauti."_

_The water in the pool shimmered as the hand touched it, but it soon returned to its regularly flat, smooth surface._

"_I shall call upon the sands of time and in only a few days we shall return to that chaotic time of war. We shall return to the time when your body knew its last child and when your mind knew the grief of loss. Together we will reunite once again. All will be well soon, my Fárbauti…"_

_The pool suddenly went black and the chambers, no longer illuminated by the __seiðr, fell into pitch darkness as the cold began to creep back in. The creature shuffled, sitting down in an old chair and finally reaching out with seiðr to touch the tree of Yggdrasil – something he had not done in millennia. His magic screamed with joy as he felt it meet with its roots. He could feel himself growing stronger. He would stay melded with the tree of Yggdrasil until the solar eclipse – the one that only came every one thousand years. _

_On that day, he would rise again and return to the power he knew on the day the last great war ended._

**_Hello! I have another (short) chapter! This is where things start to get exciting :) See you all next update!_**

**_Much Love,  
Soulhearts_**


	17. The Jötun Who Wasn't

**Chapter Seventeen/ Kapittel Sytten:**

"_Please, Eir, there must be _some _way!? Surely there must be!"_

"_I'm sorry your highness," Eir had replied gravely, shaking her head with regret as she fiddled with a number of vials and bottles filled with liquid antidotes. "There is no way to undo what has been done. I simply did what the King ordered me to do."_

_Thor collapsed on the chair in the corner and allowed his hands to cover his face masking his grief. His brother deserved better than this. Loki deserved _much _better than this…_

"_There truly is little consolation I can give you, Thor…" The healer apologised, her pity for the crown prince in her clear, sky blue eyes. _

_She had looked after the two princes ever since they were babes and for her it was heartbreaking to take away something that could never be replaced. Not only that, but now the elder of the two Odinson's was suffering as well; suffering immensely from a procedure she'd done with her own two hands. She should have denied Odin, she should have told him to find another healer… but the problem was that Odin would very well do so… he'd been so intent on the idea of returning his son to a more wholesome, innocent person. He'd so desperately wanted the child that had looked to him for guidance and not the man who saw Odin simply as the King who had betrayed him in the most grievous of ways. Eir had known that the King would seek out another healer, but the man did not realise how dangerous the removal of one's memories were; one wrong move and patient's mind would be completely useless – they would be little more than brain-dead. She had tried fruitlessly to explain this to Odin, but the King had pressed on, insisting that she turn back time in Loki's mind. If she had not done it, then another healer would have laid their hands on Loki and possibly destroyed him for good. Odin wanted his five-hundred year old child running around at his ankles rather than the two-thousand year old man that Loki now was. And she made no mistake. Loki was truly a man now, even though many still tried to call him a boy – especially the King who clung rigorously to the past._

"_While I cannot say that I have much hope to offer you, Prince Thor, there is one thing I can say, though I do not wish or pretend to believe in any way that this will happen, however," Eir paused, looking at the blonde man who'd immediately focused his attention on the old woman once more. "In the absolute smallest of cases that I've encountered, the subject has regained memories… and both these patients were quick of mind like your brother, but…"_

_The healer bit her lip and wondered if it would really be in Thor's best interest to hear this. Steeling herself and releasing her breath she pressed on._

"_Whilst both of my patient's that recovered their memories were bright, brilliant people, in the end it proved to be their downfall. Both of them ended up clinically insane… I am sorry…"_

_Eir watched Thor's face fall into horror and then despair and he began to rethink his desire to return Loki's memories to him._

"_Your patients," He questioned. "Where are they now?"_

"_The one who was __Æsir died over a century ago, however, the other was not Æsir__. He was a war criminal, half __Jötun__, half dwarf – though he despised his __Jötun kind. Since __Ásgard obviously could not return him to __Jötunheimr at that time, instead Odin returned him to the dwarf people; I know not what happened to him after that, nor can I recall his name. However, I remember this man being powerful – __seiðr almost as strong as your brother's – but I also knew he was a madman, even before I removed his memories of __Ásgard from him. He was hell bent on seeing Ásgard destroy __Jötunheimr because he had fallen in love with a Jötnar maiden but she had married another. I do not believe he wished for her death, simply the destruction of the one she married… Either way, it matters not because I do not know where he is…"_

Thor pulled himself from his memories as he came to a complete stop in front of the entranceway to his brother's chambers. Carefully he knocked and awaited the voice within to grant him access…

* * *

A startling knock came at the entrance to Loki's chambers and the young man looked up from his leather bound book on charms and plant lore, surprised that anyone would bother to visit him here.

"Loki?"

Oh, yes. Thor would seek him out here, though he would be the only one…

Thor's head appeared around the corner of the door, his face morphed into an expression of worry and concern. Loki was not oblivious to people's subtle emotions unlike his older brother, thusly, he put his book down and invited the older inside warmly.

Thor entered in, his eyes becoming sad as they rested on Loki. Honestly, with the way his family was now – so much mistrust and deceit – it broke his heart. He could see no way to reunite his family and now, with Loki missing so much vital information about his birth family, he had no idea as to how he would be able to return Loki to Jötunheimr either.

"Thor, are you alright?" Loki scooted over on his bed and invited his older brother to sit with him. Loki had seen it in Thor's eyes the moment he'd returned home from Alfheim; a wisdom that had never been present in Thor's eyes until now. Thor's worrying had increased tenfold since Loki had fallen ill and the young man wondered what had transpired in the neighbouring realm that he didn't know about. When Thor did not reply to the younger, Loki tried again.

"Thor, please, what happened to you on Alfheim? Brother, I am worried for you… you do not look…" Loki let his sentence trail off. He couldn't tell Thor that he believed his brother looked _haunted_ by something – Thor would simply laugh and mock him.

Thor sat down next to his younger brother and his lips turned up at the corners of his mouth as he ruffled Loki's hair lovingly. Loki noted however, the smile Thor had graced him with had not reached his ocean blue eyes, giving the younger even more cause for alarm.

"Loki…" Thor finally spoke, casting his gaze away from Loki's and speaking in hushed tones. "Loki, I want you to know something…"

Thor's startling gaze once again locked with Loki's and the younger frowned, distressed by his brother's mysterious words and anxious stare.

"I love you, Loki. Please, never forget that, okay?"

"Thor… you're scaring me… you never speak like this, what has happened, please?"

Thor shut his eyes and memories of Jötunheimr and of Odin washed over him, vivid images that Loki knew not of any longer. "It is nothing, Loki… do not alarm yourself."

Loki was not convinced, but the harrowing look in Thor's eyes told him that whatever burden his elder brother carried was something he alone could not help with.

* * *

**Thanks for reading and being so patient with me everyone! If you have time, leave me a review and let me know what you think.**

**Much Love,  
Soulhearts**


	18. The Grief of a Mourning Queen

_**Chapter Eighteen/ Kapittel Atten:**_

The royal family all stood together around the purple and blue flower that had been encased in ice and lowered onto a pedestal made of grey rock. None of the Jötun family spoke, nor was there wailing or endless sobs. It was simply quiet, a feeling of absolute despair and mourning hanging over them as the wind whipped past. Each of them was dressed in traditional Jötun wear made of furs and leathers and each of them wore a dark velvet cloak the colours a variety of raisin, mahogany, moss, emerald and walnut, each fastened with a gold or silver chain and all bearing the royal crest.

Eventually it was Hlín whom broke the silence, a tiny noise of agony escaping past her trembling upper lip. Almost immediately Laufey pulled her into his chest, allowing her to shed her tears with dignity and without anyone from the outside that could be looking seeing the Queen in such a state. The rest of the family looked at their mother briefly before turning their gazes back to the representation that was their deceased brother.

Normally, when a person died on Jötunheimr, their bodies were beautified and then encased in ice so that they would never decay. There were exceptions to this rule however. When a warrior died, often their bodies were too mangled and bloodied to be put in ice for people to see, therefore, they were buried and given a tombstone of rock – there were a number of these graves in a separate section of the cemetery. Contrarily, when a traitor died, they were cremated because fire was the natural enemy of the Jötnar and thusly, no Jötun would wish to burn. However, when the body of a loved one could not be recovered, the birth flower of that person was encased in ice and set on display – sometimes kings and royals had two graves, one for the public and one for family, and it was often that the public grave held a flower instead of the body. Centuries ago birth stones had been used, but over the years people had ransacked those graves and taken the jewels inside them to trade for money, so the practice was discarded.

Hlín was thankful that Laufey had suggested a private burial instead of a public one – she wasn't sure she would be able to live up to her role at the moment; the grief inside her was too strong.

"How did this happen again, Laufey?" Hlín whispered so that only her husband could hear her. "How could we let our child down twice so fatally? Though Loki must be in Valhalla, I'm sure he looks down upon us with utter hatred and disgust – we truly are the beasts that he first perceived us to be."

Laufey looked down at his broken wife and his face contorted into an expression of pain and sorrow. Whilst they'd known Loki for only a few months, both he and Hlín had felt such a connection to their lost child. Laufey had believed that he could provide what his son had never had – loving home and family who would not push their expectations upon him. However, Odin had indeed done a better job than he, much as he loathed admitting it; at least Odin had kept his son _alive _and protected! He had not even managed to do that for a whole year let alone the hundreds of years that Odin had claimed the boy as his own.

"Hlín, we are not beasts." Laufey comforted his queen, softly stroking her midnight locks and cradling her gently. "Loki… he was loved here; I'm sure he knew that. Even now he is still so loved, and although I do not know for certain, I believe that he would look down upon us with love."

"Yet we were able to do _nothing _for our Loki-child. We did nothing for him! It would have been better for him to have stayed with the false King that claimed to be his father – at least he'd still be alive!" Hlín whispered frantically, almost mirroring her husband's thoughts.

"Mother," Helblindi interjected, "Even you would say that a life without love is no life at all. All Loki wanted was a family who loved him and wanted him, is this not so?"

The siblings that surrounded Helblindi all nodded and Laufey gave his wife a light squeeze for comfort.

"Dry your eyes, my queen." Laufey murmured softly, letting Hlín go and allowing her to stand to the side so that he could complete the ceremony.

"_Gå, barnet mitt. Finn din plass blant de av Valhalla og hvile ikke med den ugudelige, men med den rettferdige, vel vitende om at du er elsket." _Laufey murmured in the ancient, almost deceased language of the old religion as he bent down and placed his cold hand upon the sphere of ice and imbued it with some of his own seiðr. The ice strengthened and became clearer and he took his hand away to look at the feelings his magic had left upon the grave.

One by one, each of the royals muttered a similar sentiment to the grave, but Hlín was the only other person who touched the ice sphere. The Queen collapsed upon her knees in the cold snow and bent over so that her whispers would only be conveyed to Loki in Valhalla as she prayed to him.

"_Jeg beklager, min Loke. Vær oppmerksom på at jeg skal alltid elske deg, og når det er min tid til å reise til landet av Valhalla, jeg skal søke deg ut og vi skal bli gjenforent igjen. Farvel, Loke."_

And it was with those final parting words that Hlín's magic unconsciously reached out to its roots in the tree of Yggdrasil. Hlín had not felt such loss in so long and in an attempt to protect itself from the pain, her seiðr propelled toward the tree and unconsciously connected her to the object of her mourning. Yet, as quickly as it happened, it ended, and Hlín was left unknowing of the events which had just transpired.

* * *

_**Elsewhere, in **_**_Ásgard..._**

* * *

A suddenly spike of pain caused Loki to crumple to the floor. It hadn't been enough to knock him out, but it had impaired and injured him to the point where all he could see was blurry outlines and white dots flying across his vision.

"Loki!?" He heard his father call out in confusion and concern from his place at the head of the table.

The four of them had been about to sit down at the table in the smaller of the two dining halls, but the sudden electric spike of pain had reached Loki before he'd managed to sit down. Suddenly he felt Thor's presence beside him, but while he knew Thor was there, he also felt completely disconnected from his own body. He wanted to call out to Thor, ask for his help, but his mouth and tongue disobeyed him and remained lax in their place.

During the pain, Loki had seen something else, something he couldn't quite understand.

_A flower… wrapped in ice? _

It hadn't made sense, but he didn't have time to comprehend it for long, for the white spots were soon replaced with black ones and eventually his vision clouded over and he was conscious no more.

* * *

**Hello! Thank you to those who reviewed and have read the story since I updated it yesterday :) I find that I'm either on a roll for this story or I'm completely disinterested in it - there is no inbetween for 'Distances'. If you liked (or didn't like) this chapter, leave me a review and let me know your thoughts! I shall see you all next update!**

**Much Love,  
Soulhearts**


	19. Who Shall Go The Ways Of A Madman?

_Chapter Nineteen/Kapittel Nitten_

Frigga waited quietly in a part of the palace which had not been used for over a century. She eyed the dust on the windowsill and pulled out a dusty, old tome – which she believed to have once been hers –concerning needlepoint from the bookshelf before returning it with a sigh. She knew he would not take long to come to her. Thor always came to the aid of others; it didn't matter who called for him, he would go. Frigga had simply needed to find a place where she knew Odin would not overhear.

Loki had been laid up in bed ever since he collapsed, which was two whole days now. Frigga's concern for her child had grown stronger every hour, and Loki's wellbeing seemed to be the only thing she could concentrate on. Frigga needed to put a stop to this. Eir had not needed to explain what procedure she'd used on Loki – for it had been the same one the healer had used on her elder brother who'd died over a century ago. Frigga had looked after him whilst he'd still been alive, but she remembered how he'd changed. She'd been a naïve queen then. She'd foolishly made the mistake of ordering Eir to take his memories of the war. The war had corrupted her brother; it had tainted him and taken him to a place from which he had not returned. She'd thought things would be alright if he did not remember the war, and for a time, things were. But that only lasted two years. After that, her brother started losing his mind. The mind was a complicated thing and Bragi had been haunted endlessly by images of blood and death. He'd cried out to her, tried to get her to take the nightmares away, but Frigga could do little more than watch helplessly as Bragi went from her loving, caring, warm-hearted brother, to a madman who flinched at the slightest sound, believing himself to always be fighting invisible foes. Eventually the once proud warrior unknowingly impaled himself on a broken sword and bled out before Frigga found him, cold and lifeless on the floor of his chambers. She found it darkly poetic that it was those same chambers in which she now stood.

The door to her left swung open, the rusty hinges creaking and protesting as Thor entered. The crown prince showed confusion in his eyes at being called to such a place by his mother, but Frigga knew that he would agree – they simply could not let Odin do as he willed anymore. There were some boundaries that even a king could not cross without retribution. Frigga could not let the same thing that happened to her brother, happen to her son – and she'd seen it as Loki collapsed to the floor. It had been the same harrowing look of confusion that Bragi had worn every time the nightmares plagued him.

"Mother, why hast you called me here?" Thor asked quietly, coming to stand in front of her.

"Thor," the Queen quickly muttered in hushed tones. "My son, I am glad you have come."

The Queen paused, hesitating in her act of treason – for she made no mistake in knowing that what she was doing was treason. As a wife, her soul cried and wept in a dark corner, but as a _mother_ her heart rejoiced in her decision. She would not let Loki go the ways of a madman.

"It concerns your brother, Loki." Frigga continued in her quiet voice.

Immediately, Thor was paying full attention. "What is it?! What has happened to him?!" Thor looked almost ready to turn and sprint out the door to go and seek out his brother, but Frigga gripped his arm and stayed him.

"Quiet, my child. If your father hears us, there is no telling what he may do."

Thor nodded silently, paling at the thought. Both mother and son knew that Odin's wrath was incomparable to nothing else in all the realms – he would sentence his own son to a lifetime of imprisonment if he deemed the crime terrible enough!

"Thor, we _must _not let Loki suffer through this alone." Frigga announced solemnly. "… While there is no way to return his memories to him, I fear that… I fear that they will return on their own… and he will... Loki will…"

_Go insane._

"We cannot return him to Jötunheimr, but I really see no other option. It is the only way I can think of to help him. Perhaps his returning memories would make sense if he were in the place that they were made."

Thor's expression immediately contorted into one of helplessness and fear. He could not deal with this. He could not deal with losing his brother to _insanity_. An insanity, mind you, that his _father _had put there. How, in less than a year, had Thor completely lost the one thing in this world that he'd sworn to protect? Loki had always been a somewhat frail child – both physically and mentally – and deep down, Thor had always believed that Loki would need him. Thor had never shied away from this responsibility, not since he'd made the oath. Yet, as the crown prince of Ásgard thought back on past few months, he started to believe that he had failed. He _had _failed Loki. It was the simple truth of the matter. He'd been blinded by his loyalties, love and misplaced trust. Where he thought he'd been doing right by his brother, he'd done wrong, and there was nothing, _absolutely nothing_ he could do about it now.

The guilt swelled up in his chest and Thor had to force himself to breathe – the utter remorse leaving him somewhat winded.

For a number of minutes, there was a still silence in the room as the two royals thought back upon their choices over the last few months, however it was Thor who spoke first, even though neither had really recovered from the harsh truth that Frigga had spoken of earlier.

"What… will happen to him, Mother?"

The simple question caused Frigga to jerk her head up in surprise, shocked out of her self-blaming. Immediately she started to shake her head.

"I… I don't know, Thor. Honestly, I have no idea." The Queen bit her lip and averted her eyes from Thor's. She shuffled her feet a little bit and thusly missed the curious expression that started to spread across Thor's face.

"What… what would happen if we _told _him?" Thor's mind began to tick. Maybe, just maybe there was the slightest chance that they could _save _Loki. Perhaps if Loki knew what was happening to him, he might be able to wrap some sense around it instead of suffering through memories that had forcefully been repressed to the farthest corners of his brilliant mind. "Even if it was just a little, would that help?"

Frigga frowned, her perfectly sculpted brows coming together. Little by little… yes, they could tell Loki small amounts at a time. Frigga had not thought upon this but… Thor could possibly be right. Rather than thrusting Loki back into the hands of those whom he now feared again, they could gently guide Loki's memories back to him. Loki would not have to fear or try and repress the strange and unremembered memories, and eventually Loki would remember enough for it to all make sense.

* * *

**Hi... **

**Originally this was going to be shorter and also published much, much earlier than this - months ago actually. I started this chapter ages ago but only worked on it again last Thursday. I decided that, even though its short (or average for _this _story), it is all I can manage for the moment. If anyone here is reading any of my other stories, I'd like to apologise for them too because I don't have any plans to update them within this month, though if I do it'll be a surprise to both you and me. Sorry for being such a lame author, but I've had a number of (unwanted) RL things to deal with...  
Also, thank you to my lovely guest (Jeanne Mott) who nicely prompted me to finish this chapter! I appreciate it when people are nice about asking for updates rather than rude about it.**

**Much Love,  
Soulhearts**


	20. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

**_Chapter Twenty/Kapittel Tjue:_**

"_You didn't believe me did you? But now… now you see I was right, now you see that I was not lying. I have never lied to you my dear. I've never lied now, have I?"_

_Hlín stared into the scrying pool, her deep scarlet eyes filled with tears of betrayal and the colour of her skin turning an unnerving blue-green. She had not thought in a million years that she would be standing here, the impossible and horrifying happening all around her._

"_Loki…" she whispered, her shaking hand reaching out to her not-dead son whom she could see resting through the vision portal that connected them. "He's…"_

_Fáfnir instantly gripped her wrist and snatched it away from the scry. "Don't touch it, my love. It will disappear, as will your beloved son if you don't do exactly what I say."_

_Hlín wrenched her wrist from the sorcerers grasp and narrowed her eyes as she shied and shrunk away from him. "What are you planning on doing to my son?" Hlín demanded anxiously as her voice trembled._

_Fáfnir held up his palms and pasted on an innocent expression. "Nothing," he answered honestly, "so long as you promise to obey my every command."_

"_I am breaking the oath and promise I made to both myself and my husband by being here!" __Hlín hissed, her fear and her anger lashing out wrathfully. "I _hate _you, I have never stopped hating you and I never will. _You _are the reason my family is like this in the first place!"_

"_Come now my beloved __Fárbauti—"_

"_Do _NOT _call me by that name!"__ Hlín practically screeched as her disgust, terror and fury reached new heights. "I will never go by that name again. You tainted that name for me!" _

_Fáfnir sighed sadly and shook his head. It seemed as though he were almost disavowing her accusation, denying any and all culpability for the things he'd started and the countless lives he'd taken._

"_Taking your deceased sister's name was indeed a wise decision on your behalf. I'll be straight with you; I've always loved you so much that the rest of your family had never even held a glimmer of my interest before. Obviously this is why it took me so long to track you down. But now…" Fáfnir sighed again and pulled his hair back as he glanced into the scrying pool where Loki was tossing fitfully in his sleep. "… since learning of how you concealed yourself – and I don't only mean your __seiðr, your appearance or your bloodline – I began to wonder to myself, what other secrets would I learn?"_

_Hlín gulped as the mad sorcerer ran his fingers over her exposed collarbone and gently brushed his disgusting fingers along her icy skin. He touched and played with her hair and Hlín trembled, fighting back her need to run, if only for Loki's sake. Who knew what __Fáfnir would do to her youngest? He could practically walk straight into __Ásgard; they would not expect an attack by one man, and they were so arrogant that they would honestly believe him to be no threat! Simply put, the Æsir would let him go on his merry way. And __Fáfnir… he would not even _present _himself as a threat __Ásgard__.__ The only thing he would attack would be the life of her son, and from the way she knew things stood on Ásgard, the Æsir would likely help him! The people of Ásgard – the Æsir – they hated __Jötnar, but this was not a limited type of hate. __Hlín knew they would go so far as to murder the man who had once been their prince. Hel! For all she knew, __Fáfnir would be made into a hero! After all, it had once been a coming-of-age sport for young __Æsir to come to __Jötunheimr and slay, not only one or two of her people, but entire villages and towns! The __Æsir were murderers and __Hlín knew that it would be no different with Loki. If the people of __Ásgard ever got the chance to murder her son, they would take it – simply because he was __Jötun._

"_Secrets, oh yes, I learned so MANY!"__Fáfnir exclaimed as he waltzed away from __Hlín and__ the scrying pool, throwing his hands up in the air as he fell into a fit of hysterical laughter. "If I had not been usurped by the silver-tongued talent that is your dear son, I would still be known as the greatest wordsmith in all the realms. However, I've noticed that your son doesn't often think outside the box. He thinks a lot, indeed, however, he seems averse to a less… linear way of thinking."_

"_Will you stop your madman ranting and simply tell me what it is you want!" __Hlín exclaimed as she curled her fists and closed her eyes, turning away for the first time from the vision of her son._

_Fáfnir narrowed his eyes in annoyance from being interrupted, however after a moment of silence and stillness, he continued._

"_An example of these secrets would be… ah yes, did you know that the Loki you are currently staring at does not even know you exist?"_

_Hlín's eyes suddenly snapped wide open and she spun around, her velvet, full-length, pine-green dress hindering her movements somewhat. The shock and confusion appearing on her face quickly brought a grin to the mad sorcerer. _

"_I know, I know," __Fáfnir again waved his hands loftily in the air and his tone somehow mocking. "How Odin could wipe the memories of his beloved son… tragic, tragic… Loki will never be whole again."_

"_What are you talking about?" __Hlín baulked, unwanted tears springing into her eyes again._

_Fáfnir's grin only widened further._

"_That's right, you don't know yet… you don't know what Loki is destined to become. You were never there when that prophecy was made. There are only two people in this universe that know the full extent of your young son's destiny – Odin Allfather and myself."_

"_What does Odin intend to do with my son?!"_

"_Oh __Fárbauti, you still just don't get it do you? Odin doesn't even know! He still believes that the lie he spun is still just that – a lie. However, what he doesn't know is that on the day he first spoke that lie, the words simply became the truth. Odin doesn't know he made a prophecy, he'd never made one before and he's never made once since. What I find most ironic is the fact that Odin – whilst trying to prevent your talented son from wielding the most powerful magic in the universe and trying to prevent any disasters, such as his __Ragnarök "lie", is in actuality _creating _the beginning of what will be the end of the universe as we know it!_

_That foolish King has already started Ragnarök – and he doesn't even know it yet!"_

* * *

Squinting as the harsh sunlight hit him square in the face, Loki opted to sit himself up and try to obtain a less blinding position. As he jolted himself upright, his head let out a throb of pain and he clutched it, only to be assaulted with strange dream-like visions that left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

"Brother, you've awoken at last!"

Startled by the booming voice and surprised that he'd neglected to notice anyone else in the room, Loki stiffened and immediately directed his gaze upon the only other person there.

"Thor?" He queried, relaxing somewhat. "Why are you here?"

Thor looked away sheepishly, but Loki noticed guilt in his expression as well. In fact, Thor looked almost as though he'd seen a ghost – the man was so pale and nervous.

"Thor…" Loki continued wearily, "You still look bothered… you look… like you did the other day…"

"Loki… I…"

"WHAT IS IT THOR!" The younger suddenly exploded with ferocious distress. "… what is it?"

The pained look that passed over Loki's face caused Thor's heart to twist with shame. Thor knew he couldn't keep going on like this.

"…have I done something?" Loki whispered, his gaze fixed upon his bedcovers and his hands clutching at the sheets.

Thor's eyes immediately went wide. How could Loki draw such a conclusion!? Of course not! Of course it wasn't something he had done!

"No, Loki – it's not like that at all, I swear – it's just…" Thor exhaled loudly and muttered a muted curse under his breath as he prepared to nose dive. "… there are just some things that you don't know yet Loki and I… I'm afraid to tell you. I'm afraid because… because I think you will hate me… you will hate me and father and mother… you will hate us all."

Loki reached for Thor's hand which rested on the bed and he quickly clung to it.

"Thor, I swear," he started, the honesty and openness in Loki's expression only sending Thor more lashings of guilt. "I won't hate you, Thor. I could never hate you, brother."

"…Thank you, Loki, but I fear you will not say such things so strongly once you know…"

Loki gripped his older brother's hand tightly in his own. Whatever knowledge it was that seemed to be crushing his brother, he could take it, if only to alleviate the obvious guilt that rolling off Thor's shoulders like thunder in a distant storm. Thor seemed to steel himself before looking up to meet his younger brother's curious eyes, and after a large puff of air, Thor finally allowed the heavy words to drop like lead weights from his tongue.

"Loki… you're _Jötun_."

* * *

**Hello~!**

**So this chapter is random and sudden and I'm sorry about that. I've actually been sick for the last couple of days so I decided I should write another chapter - keep the ball rolling as they say - however, I always seem to write in twos so I don't know when the next part will be up; besides I don't want to get any hopes up or make any promises. So, Hlín is beginning to learn things - how she ended up with Fáfnir and his scrying pool will all be revealed too - plus Loki has learned of his true heritage... _again_. Where will things go from here? All shall be revealed so stay tuned!**

**Much Love,  
****Soulhearts**


	21. What Is Left, Remains To Be Seen

**_Chapter Twenty-One/Kapittel Tjueen:_**

_How had things ended up like this?_

No, Hlín knew she couldn't ask that question – the reason was clear. _She _was the reason things had become this way. The moment Fáfnir showed up at the front gates of the palace asking to see her… with no fanfare or threats on his part. Yes, she'd gone with him willingly. Because he'd said three very simple words to her:

"_Loki is alive."_

Oh, her world had come crashing down all around her. Everything had drained of colour, everything had changed. There were so many questions she needed answered. So many things she yet had to learn. But still, her first thoughts sounded like singing from angelic gods! Her son… her poor, beloved son…

He had _suffered! _For too long her precious son had suffered and been forced from his place in the world. Why had this happened to him? _Why…?_

Why was Loki being the one punished for the crimes of those around him? The crimes of Odin – the destruction he wrought upon the land of Jötunheimr _still_ being repaired and his crimes of kidnapping. The crimes of her husband, Laufey – the simple crime of not protecting his home and his family, as well as the crime of not being a proactive, true King. And her crimes: concealing her identity, her cowardice and her failure as a mother.

"You say he doesn't remember me?" Hlín turned to her captor and watched as he grinned back.

"No, your son remembers nothing of you or this place. Odin is truly a mad king… he does not know the consequence of his actions." Fáfnir replied, a crazed look appearing in his eye.

"_And you do?_" She snapped, turning to him fully.

The half- Jötun was silent for a moment as he seemed to ponder upon the question with serious thought. His hand reached up and rubbed his chin as his brain worked the question over before looking back at her and giving a definite answer.

"Yes, I do."

Hlín clamped her mouth shut and pressed her dry lips together into a thin line. Fáfnir wasn't lying to her. That much she could work out on her own. The half- Jötun, half-dwarf was insane–or at least teetering on the edge of insanity–but she could see from the terrifying look in his eye that he hadn't been lying to her. That fact alone was probably what scared her the most.

Hlín turned back to the scrying pool and looked back down. "I have to stop this…" she announced, her eyes never leaving the small form of her youngest son as her fingers lifted to hover over his form. She couldn't let things go on like this; she couldn't let things stay as they were. In the plainest of ways, she simply wanted her family to be whole, though deep down inside, Hlín wasn't sure her wishes would ever really come true.

"I cannot let Loki suffer anymore. I would rather die than see him slowly drown in a pit of madness, as though he were drowning in a pool of his own blood. _I would rather die." _Hlín once again looked back to the man behind—her intentions now out in the open.

"You have to let me out of here. I need to rescue my son." She declared as her expression hardened and her blood-red eyes narrowed with determination and resolve. Her hands formed into tightly balled fists, her anger having nowhere else to go. "I'm going to rescue my son!"

It was then that Fáfnir laughed, the insane holler echoing all around the dark chamber where they lingered. The sound was evil and remorseless, sending a horrified chill up the back of Hlín's spine and causing her mind to recoil at the noise.

"I don't think you quite get it Fárbauti." Fáfnir laughed. The genuine amusement in his tone making her shudder violently. "You cannot go anywhere! I won't let you!"

She again recoiled, his continuation only making her feel even more determined to leave.

"I'm going to make you watch as your beloved son goes down the same entertaining road of insanity that I discovered. You can watch as Odin's prophecy comes true and your _son _burns the entire _UNIVERSE _to the ground!"

* * *

"I'm…Jötun?"

The silence simply filled the room as wide-eyed and mouth agape, Loki Odinson stared almost uncomprehendingly at his blonde older brother who sat on the edge of his bed. Thor's hands were shaking so minutely that Loki wondered if Thor even knew they were, but the fear of rejection that Loki could see in his older brother's eyes wasn't a lie—Thor was obviously waiting for him to announce that he never wanted to see his face again.

But, how was this possible? How was he... a Jötun? For a second, Loki's world went spinning, yet just as quickly it came to a blinding halt. What did this mean?

_Why was Thor telling him this at all…?_

"Because... you have to know..." It was only when Thor answered his question did Loki realise that he'd accidentally spoken his thoughts aloud. "I'm afraid of what's going to happen to you Loki, I'm afraid that if you don't know all the facts, someone will take advantage of you."

"Take advantage of me?" Loki parroted back, his confusion growing ever stronger. "Who else knows, Thor…? How many people know what I am?"

His voice hadn't been harsh, but Thor's face immediately drained of colour, his pallor now a pasty white. Thor averted his eyes to the bed-sheets but Loki wouldn't have him avoiding the question. "Thor, tell me what you know."

Thor gulped, the backs of his eyes filling with moisture and apprehension. "Everyone, Loki." He whispered, finally declaring the truth. "Everyone knows… all of Ásgard knows what you are."

"How?"

"Loki, I... I don't think..."

"No, Thor! How it is that everyone knows what I am, when even I didn't know!? Thor, I don't understand! What is it that I'm missing? What else don't I know?"

Thor reached out and gripped his brother's hand. Loki's knuckles were a clenched white as he grabbed handfuls of the bedcovers with both hands. "Loki... you have to understand... I cannot tell you everything just yet. I just cannot—for your own safety, alright? Please, you just have to trust me; it wouldn't be good for you to know everything at once. Please, trust me. I know I'm not the best big brother in the universe, but give me this chance, Loki. Put your faith in me once more, I swear, I won't let you down."

Loki eyed his brother with both apprehension and worry. If there was only one person in this world he trusted, it would be the man sitting before him. Thor would never hurt him intentionally. Thor wasn't like him. Thor was a good, honest man and Loki was secretly proud of his brother. There was really no doubt in his mind.

"Alright, brother. I will put my faith in you. I _trust_ you. I believe you will not let me down."

Tears of relief swelled in Thor's eyes, but he couldn't hide the worry from his face either. There were still many things Loki could not be told if he was not to be overwhelmed and there were many out there – Æsir and denizens from other worlds – that would wish harm upon Loki if they knew of his "memory loss". The race that Loki hailed from was one that had many enemies, both secret and acknowledged, and Thor didn't know who out there would strike with full force if they were to learn that Loki had lost his upper hand. The elder Odinson brother could not protect his sibling from everyone and he certainly couldn't protect Loki from himself—which was what worried him most.

"Loki," he started anew as a thought came to him. "There are… _things_… that you may see… alright? There are memories which might come back to you. I need you to promise me that if you see these, you'll come straight to me, okay?"

Loki became suddenly suspicious, however he didn't let on, his gaze remaining focused on Thor as his brother's blue eyes searched and scanned the depths of his own murky green. There was nothing that Thor said which he couldn't believe, yet the way Thor had spoken… He'd immediately known that there were secrets being kept, and not just from him.

"…uh, sure?" Loki replied with a nod of the head. Thor's reaction would tell him exactly what to do next.

The older, not sensing his younger brother's suspicions, quickly breathed a sigh of relief and his lips spread into a smile. "Good and please, Loki, whatever you do, do not breathe a word of this to father."

Loki's eyebrow twitched as he absorbed the information Thor had imparted on him. There _were _more secrets, and now he knew _exactly _who was keeping them.

* * *

**Hello fellow fanfiction-ers!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I did write this in two separate parts so I hope it make sense and also, please feel free to point out any loose ends I may have forgotten about! I have been writing this for about a year, I think, and I haven't read the whole thing in its entirety for about six months. I am 100% sure that some of you have read the whole thing since then so I would be really grateful if you would point out any weird mistakes I've made or loose ends I left. I hope you are all well and a warm welcome to my new readers and a sincere thanks to those who have stuck through with me from the very beginning (seriously guys, you're the best! I am the worst and most irregular updater, I know). If you have the time, please leave a review and let me know your thoughts!**

_Much Love,_  
_Soulhearts_


	22. The Suspicions of a Seiðmann

_**Chapter Twenty-Two/Kapittel Tjueto:**_

Loki didn't buy it. It was all just a little bit too suspicious—Thor was clearly up to something. Was it a prank perhaps? Surely not… Thor would never be so cruel as to make him believe he was _actually _a Jötun.

_Nuh-uh! _His devil's advocate reminded him. _When we were younger Thor was always the good guy when we were playing games, I was always the one playing the monster or the Jötun._

Yes, but they weren't children anymore.

He didn't really know what to think. Thor's last words had been… confusing and bizarre. Needless to say, he'd played along with Thor's stupid little game, but why would Thor _say _something like that? Was someone watching him? Was Thor in danger from someone?! Besides, why would Thor tell him to forfeit his trust in their father? Was someone manipulating his older brother?

Loki sighed, running his comb through his hair as he stared blankly at himself in the mirror, his mind focused on issues other than his image. Yes, something was definitely wrong, but Loki still had to find more information. If someone _was _manipulating his brother, what were they holding over his head? Perhaps Thor had told him not to trust Odin because he was involved somehow…

Why would Odin—_his father_—be a threat? What wasn't Thor telling him? The more Loki thought about it though, the more he realised that Odin _had _been acting differently. The old man had even gone out his way to spend time with him before Thor and Frigga got back from their interplanetary trip. If Loki was honest with himself, Odin had never really been the caring, fatherly type. With him it had always been, "_Sit up straight when you're in company, Loki!"_ or "_Don't you dare lock yourself away in that library all day young man!" _Odin had always been _correcting _his behaviour, never encouraging it. _Never _encouraging him. Yet for some obscure, unknown reason, the last time Odin had paid him visit, he'd been kind and approving… which in itself was… unusual.

"Urgh!" Loki grunted loudly, slamming his comb down upon his vanity as his tumultuous thoughts ran rampant in his head. He was no stranger to over-thinking things, but Loki also knew that Thor tended not to use his brain in the first place—obviously it was his duty to think for the both of them.

_But why had Thor declared him to be Jötun? _What did the Jötnar have to do with this?

Loki quickly thought back over their conversation, analysing and scrutinising every little detail.

…"_I'm afraid if you don't know all the facts, someone will take advantage of you."… _Yes, Thor had said that, but what had he meant by it? How exactly did it relate to the Jötnar? Thor had also mentioned that all of Ásgard believed him to be a Jötun. Did this mean there was no one he could trust? Was Thor somehow warning him?

Loki bit his bottom lip and stalked over to his bed before plonking himself down upon it and shoving his head into his hands as he went over and over the facts.

Firstly, somehow Jötunheimr was involved with this—he didn't know how, but he would do a bit of digging in order to see what interest they could possibly be at this point. Secondly, Odin couldn't be trusted. Did that mean Frigga could? No, it was better not to take that chance. Thor appeared to be the only one he could trust, but the elder was warning him in cryptic messages, so in reality he couldn't speak to Thor on this issue either. He would piece this together, then he would rescue his older brother from whatever trouble he'd dug himself into this time.

Abruptly standing, Loki immediately strode to the doorway and flung it open before stepping out into the corridor as he headed for the library. Maybe there was something he'd overlooked. Maybe there were answers in the place of all knowledge.

* * *

"_My family will be looking for me, you know that don't you?"_

_Híln knew Fafnír wasn't stupid, but she hadn't walked into this blind either. The sorcerer had tricked her before, and her naïveté back then had cost more than one life. She would not make the same mistake twice._

_Fafnír turned and simply smiled at her, as though he was tired of playing such mind games with her. Híln probably seemed like an open book to him, but she was good at hiding. She'd proven that to him. This time though, she was not hiding herself, but her intentions._

_"And I'm sure that you know I've hidden this place from all Jötun eyes." He countered, seating himself on a chair. "Please, Farabuti, aren't you tired of running from me? Why is it that you cannot accept the truth: we belong together."_

_Híln ground her teeth together, refusing outright to accept his words. "We never belonged together, Fafnír. I have a family—a family that needs me! Why can't you let me go?"_

_Fafnír let out a blood curdling laugh. "Oh my dear, your family? They will be destroyed by that thing you still claim to be your own." Fafnír sneered at her, crossing his legs and resting his chin upon his sweaty hand. "You declare that I should let you go, give up all the love I still hold for you, but aren't you doing the same thing with your son? Your poor, precious, innocent Loki? You still hold your claim over his head, but he is not truly yours anymore. Ever since Odin first took him from this place, his loyalties shifted—surely you have seen this with your own eyes?"_

_Híln grimaced as she recalled Loki's astounded face upon seeing his adopted brother and birth mother, remembering the exact moment he laid his eyes upon them._

_"You still expect him to be wholly devoted to you, don't you?"_

_"That's untrue!" Híln interjected, but Fafnír simply continued on, ignoring the interruption._

_"You forced your love upon the child until all his beliefs were shattered to the core. Now look where we all are, the beginning of the end of the universe."_

* * *

**Hello again!**

**So I won't say much, however, if you guys _do _think I've forgotten to tie up a loose end, please let me know! And thank you to the people who reviewed last chapter. This story doesn't have much more to go-only the final arc- so I thank everyone who's stayed with me this far.**

**Much Love,  
Soulhearts**


	23. Discontinuation Notice

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry I'm doing this to you all. You've been so supportive of this story and I would like to thank each and every one of you who has left a review, followed or favourited me because of Distances. However, this story has become like a ball and chain to me―I can't move on without letting it go. It was my first real investment, but I dreamed too big and then it fell by the wayside. So, sadly, I am discontinuing Distances. It will still remain on Fanfiction however there will be no more updates. I do deeply apologise.

Much Love,

Soulhearts


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